Just Friends
by PupshitDesu
Summary: When Kaiba and Jonouchi ran into each other by chance after years apart, neither could have imagined how tangled they would become in each other's lives. Puppyshipping KaibaxJonouchi
1. Chapter 1

It had been Kaiba's intention to eat dinner at home. However, Mokuba had made oden, thinking his brother would be eating out that day since the groceries were all but depleted and he hadn't ordered anything more. Unfortunately, Kaiba had neglected both groceries and ordering in, and he sure as hell wasn't going to eat oden. So, off to a restaurant it was. He was wandering the sidewalks, heading away from the business quarter, but a little further out than he thought, evidently—he didn't recognize much of anything around him…

Jonouchi, on the other hand, was strolling around town with a stick of octopus in his mouth, because he was just that hungry and had no shame about eating cheap street food. Turning a corner, he noticed Kaiba. As a result, he abruptly changed direction, hoping to avoid confrontation after years of not even seeing him. He was content to continue their newfound habit of not being at all involved with one another; if he was lucky, he'd get away and this situation wouldn't arise again.

Unfortunately, Jonouchi's luck tended to run out.

Kaiba had all ready noticed Jonouchi by the time he turned tail to escape, and couldn't subdue the urge to force him into a conversation. After those years of separation, they just ran into each other randomly? Perhaps in a usual situation, he'd have simply insulted or failed to acknowledge Jonouchi to ensure the he knew his place, but Kaiba Seto would not tolerate being ignored. He also wasn't going to go chasing after anyone, so he decided to force Jonouchi to give him his attention.

"Jonouchi!" He called, loudly enough that he knew Jonouchi could hear him, but not enough to draw attention to himself.

"What do you want?" Jonouchi yelled back, before turning his head to look at the man approaching him. He still had the stick of octopus in his hand, and unsure of what to do now that he got caught, Jou contemplated just tossing it away. Eating in front of the jerk didn't appeal to him and too trapped by the mob of people to just walk off, he stood there awkwardly with his arms folded across his chest.

"Look, I'm not interested in being called animal names right now, so just leave me alone for once."

"That's how you greet me after all these years?" Kaiba smirked, unable to resist any opportunity to rile Jonouchi. How could he back down from that defensive posture, that angry tone?

"Haven't you missed me, Jonouchi? I'd have thought you'd at least say hello when you saw me."

His face fell then, only slightly, as his stomach growled quietly at him. He hoped to whatever deity that the noise wouldn't grow any louder while he stood bantering with the bonkotsu. He knew he must be far too hungry if the likely-stale, deep-fried octopus stick Jonouchi still clutched was catching his interest.

"No."

And narrowing his eyes, he tossed the stick onto the sidewalk and started walking away. He didn't care if it was rude or obnoxious behavior, since no one ever bothered to teach him any real manners. His mother believed him to be a lost cause and his father just didn't really give a damn.

Heading back toward his own side of town, he hoped that the change of scenery would scare Kaiba off. His neighborhood was ugly and crowded, with graffiti all over public property and cigarette buds strewn on the ground. He didn't mind the look of it because that was all he really knew, but he was sure that the other man would hate how all the apartments were stacked on top of each other. There was no privacy or desire to improve the 'curb appeal' the place.

Maybe if he walked fast enough, he'd lose him to the crowd.

After recovering from the shock that someone had just turned their back on him and walked away, Kaiba schooled his face to hide his scandalized expression and followed Jonouchi briskly. Hell no. No one walked away from him, especially not with that kind of attitude. Jonouchi seemed to be leading him to the bad part of town, and he had the impulse to stop and go back (if only to escape the hideous landscape), but there was no way on Earth he'd let Jonouchi get away with acting like that.

Maybe it had been years, but that didn't mean he was any different than he'd ever been—for better or for worse.

He wove through the crowd on the sidewalk, easily keeping his eyes on Jonouchi due to his quarry's height and golden hair. He was slowly gaining on him, and within a few seconds, he made a well-timed lunge for the other man's arm.

"Let go of me!"

Swinging back around, Jonouchi shook Kaiba's grip off, giving him a rather nasty look before backing a few steps away from him. It had been years, and he had already mostly forgotten just how bad the other man was when it came to acting…well, reasonable with other people. He didn't exactly understand why he was following him in the first place, but he stood with his arms crossed again since he didn't see himself losing him anytime soon.

"Stop stalking me, asshole. Don't you have better things to do than follow me around town?"

His stomach was aching, but ignoring it, he looked Kaiba right in the eyes. He didn't care if it was rude behavior. He just really wanted to be left alone again, and narrowed his eyes further to demonstrate this train of thought.

"I wouldn't have needed to follow you if you hadn't run from me, coward," Kaiba growled, displeased with both his current location and the fact that he was mildly winded by his exercise…and his stomach felt emptier than ever. He heard a faint growl, but this time, it wasn't him—it was Jonouchi. Perhaps they were equally starved for nutrition.

"For your information, I was searching for a place to get decent food. Now I'm here wasting both our time because you are completely incapable of behaving like a rational adult. If you hadn't run for the hills the moment the conversation wasn't catering to your emotions, I could have asked you if there was a restaurant you recommended. Instead, I had to chase you down."

He'd lied…a little. It was true that it was a good idea to ask Jonouchi about nearby places to eat, but that hadn't been his initial intention at all. He'd wanted to make damn sure that Jonouchi didn't get away with disrespecting him. He wanted badly to tell the blond just that, but his hunger was draining his venom.

"I don't eat at restaurants, first of all. There's plenty of street vendors all around to get decent food from and I have things to do at home. Second, I don't want to have dinner with you of all people."

And taking a cigarette from his pocket, he lit the tip before bringing it to his lips, inhaling the smoke before blowing it all in Kaiba's direction. He scanned the area for a viable place to eat, eventually looking across the street at a ramen shop.

"You wouldn't like anything in this area anyway. Everything here is cheap and quick. You'd be better off having one of your cooks make something for you than eating out in this side of town."

Kaiba waved smoke out of his face, half-tempted to give Jonouchi a solid smack across the mouth for daring to blow that putrid, cancerous shit at him.

"If by 'cheap' you mean that ramen booth, then this part of the city is even worse than I assumed. My 'cooks' can only do their job when I order groceries, and I haven't had the time. There's nothing to eat at home, except—"

He nearly lost his appetite just thinking about what Mokuba had cooked, but he recovered his composure.

"—oden. Since I prefer not to eat garbage, I'll have to find food on my own tonight."

Kaiba paused as the first part of Jonouchi's rebuttal clicked in his brain.

"Did I, at any time, imply that I wanted to eat with you?" He challenged, both surprised that Jonouchi had assumed he did, and stung by the rejection that the other man wouldn't want to eat with him if he had. Who did he think he was to say something like that…? Low-class garbage…

"I don't even care if you don't. Like I said already, I have things to do at home. Why are you even wasting your time talking to me right now? Go kick a stray cat or something, Kaiba…"

He flicked his cigarette once before moving over closer to the wall of a building, inhaling the smoke again. It calmed his nerves, the nicotine flowing through his veins. Even though Anzu had told him they were actually bad for his health, Jou didn't care. It was the only thing keeping him from punching Kaiba's smart mouth right off his face.

"Besides, you wouldn't like any recommendation I'd give you. You probably think I eat garbage out of the alleyways, so just stop bothering me already and go away."

And turning his eyes farther down towards the street, he hoped the other male would get a clue and just leave. He wasn't planning on going anywhere with him as long as he acted rudely towards him and flicking his cigarette one more time, Jou made up his mind not to hang around that part of town again. Kaiba was not someone he planned on running into a second time.

Kaiba bristled at Jonouchi's behavior, but for the life of him, he couldn't find any rational argument that wouldn't be a form of backhanded compliment. His fists clenched and unclenched as he resisted grinding his teeth in frustration; if this were a normal day, he could just say something classist and leave. He should do that now, but there was a problem. It was getting dark, he was in a part of town where the Yakuza roamed freely, and he wasn't quite sure how to get back the way he'd gone, so…

So…

He'd have to do some social engineering.

"I may think you're unintelligent, Jonouchi," Kaiba huffed, crossing his arms in frustration as his stomach finally gave up growling and tightened instead, "But I don't think you eat garbage. Someone who loves food as much as you do must have some kind of taste. You must know some place with food worth anything."

It took all his willpower not to continue arguing. It felt like letting Jonouchi win, and he couldn't have that…but he'd learned after hard lessons that victory wasn't worthwhile if one fell on one's own sword, and he was lost and hungry. Winning a petty fight against Jonouchi wouldn't help him much at this juncture.

"If you can direct me somewhere, I'll compensate you."

"Buying my poor ass dinner then, huh? That's so sweet of you."

Snorting in amusement, he tossed his cigarette to the ground before smashing it with his shoes, not caring that he was going to get ashes all over the three hundred dollar sneakers. They would survive his abuse. Turning around to look down the street, he tried to find something that would suit Kaiba's tastes.

Unfortunately though, he didn't even know what Kaiba liked. The man never ate around others, and for the life of him, he couldn't remember anything he ever saw the other man eat. Even in high school when they were all having lunch, he couldn't remember Kaiba ever eating with them in the cafeteria. The memories were eluding him.

"What exactly are you hungry for? There are ramen shops all over the place, and I saw you eyeing my octopus earlier. I'm not that picky an eater, so it's really all up to you. I don't care."

And picking a random direction to start walking, Jonouchi began to trek back through the crowd. He didn't care too much about being rammed into by the other people and assumed that Kaiba could handle himself. If he was lucky, he'd lose him to the crowds.

"Somehow, I doubt you're familiar with any place that serves my personal favorites," Kaiba noted, forced to increase his pace to keep up with Jonouchi. Wow, that time he hadn't even been trying to insult him. He was just speaking his mind. Maybe he was off his game today.

"I suppose street food wouldn't kill me, but I'm too hungry for it to do much good. I'd rather eat indoors, anyway."

There was a momentary silence as he pushed his way around people to continue the relentless pace Jonouchi had set, and his stomach growled again.

"Listen, I don't even care at this point. Find me somewhere with a roof and four solid walls that doesn't serve oden, and I'll survive. Is that simple enough for you?"

Jonouchi's fleet-footed speed was beginning to irritate him. He could tell the other man at least half-hoped to lose him in the gaggle of moving people, and he had no intentions of being stranded in this part of town when the sun finished setting. Sure, he could handle himself if it came to a fight, but he wasn't much in the mood for encountering a gang.

"Fine, stop your whining."

Moving out of the crowd, Jonouchi made his way over to a collection of vendors, looking over the different types of food they were making. Some had miso soup while others were cooking chicken over a grill. One of Jou's favorites, though, was the octopus balls; after standing in line next to get them, he paid the cook for a large cup full of them.

"These are really good, but very hot. I guess if you like cooked seafood, you'll like this," he told Kaiba before stuffing one whole in his mouth, "I could just eat these all day."

He was settled on enjoying those for his dinner, ready to prepare ramen at home if the urge to eat again came over him. There was also curry in his kitchen and plenty of rice, so unlike Kaiba, he wasn't afraid of starving. Jou could cook for himself after years of practically living alone.

"I don't feel like sitting down somewhere and having to stare at your dumb face, so this is it. Either you're really hungry or you're not. I'm going home after this."

My dumb face? Kaiba thought, torn between offense and amusement as he tentatively nibbled one of the searing octopus balls. It was so ridiculously delicious due to his hunger that he was tempted to scarf the bucket immediately.

Speaking of which, since when did Jonouchi have money? What had he been doing these past years? Certainly, Jonouchi had never been without capability and determination, but he'd always seemed easily discouraged into a dead end without at least three other people around to pep him.

"I was going to treat," Kaiba smirked, "But it seems you managed to finally get your paws on some money of your own. When did that happen?"

"I always had a job, not that it's any of your damn business. I live here because I like this area, not because I'm broke. Maybe if you didn't have your nose so high up in the air, you would have figured that out for yourself."

His appetite had died again. Sighing, he turned around slowly, looking toward the direction of his apartment. He hated being out past dark, even if it was his old neighborhood. After leaving the gang for good in high school, it never felt completely safe to be out at night, so noticing the change in light, he decided to make his dinner to go.

"I gotta bounce. See you around, Kaiba."

And before the other man could respond, he took off running towards his building. It was close by and although he wasn't purposely trying to lose Kaiba anymore, the prospect of doing so didn't bother him too much either. Jou didn't think it was his fault that the other man was running so damn slow.

Kaiba wanted to curse wildly at Jonouchi's escape attempt, but he didn't want to lose his breath. He didn't exercise regularly anymore, and his cardio had become absolutely pitiful in comparison to how it once was—he couldn't shout and run at the same time. Not to mention, a portion of his concentration was on holding the bucket of octopus (which he was not pleased to have been distracted from).

Gods be damned, why did he keep trying to get away? Kaiba had almost been ready to have a conversation with him—almost—and in his opinion, Jonouchi should have been damn grateful for what civility he did apply. Now he was chasing the idiot through the streets again, forcing himself to increase pace so he wouldn't lose sight of him. It was go hard or go home now—he didn't recognize his surroundings at all anymore.

He was losing breath, though, and he was still hungry. He shouted Jonouchi's name, hoping he would look back or possibly stop, but no such luck. Curse him. He'd get that fool for this, and soon. He was going to follow Jonouchi home, now, and there would be no escaping him then.

Jonouchi stopped and turned around when his lungs burned uncomfortably. Kaiba was behind him, looking quite winded, and it made him smirk a little. Maybe now the tables had turned and he actually stood a chance of taking him on. The thought of pinning the large male down to the floor amused him, but he wouldn't try anything. Yet.

Instead, he opened the back door to his building and climbed four flights of stairs with Kaiba in tow. He hated that there was no elevator, but it made rent so much more affordable and he was in shape. Jou had the metabolism of a bird, and after exercising so damn much, he could eat just about anything he wanted.

"Are you all right there Kaiba? I didn't think you were planning on following me or else I would have slowed down. I don't like being out past dark… don't have as many friends here as I used to."

He frowned, feeling a little bad about ruining the other man's dinner.

"… I have ramen and stuff in the kitchen, if you're really hungry. It wouldn't be that hard to cook and I don't mind that sort of thing."

Kaiba had to pant for a few more seconds before he could recover enough breath to do more than glare. He wanted to throw a punch at Jonouchi's jaw, or scream at him for making him run after him and humiliate himself like this, but the contrite expression on the other man's face made him reconsider.

The offer of free food also persuaded him to repress his first impulse.

"Jonouchi, I can think of a lot of reasons to show you my appreciation using my knuckles. However, I owe you for paying for the food—despite the fact that I haven't been able to eat it—and since I ran all the way here, I may as well stay. Yes, I'll come inside."

He decided not to mention that he didn't want to be alone in the dark around this place, either.

"I forgot how hostile you were. Touch me anywhere tonight, and I'll kick you out and you can find your own damn way home. It's a wonder that I'm civil with you right now."

Sighing, Jonouchi took out the keys buried in his jacket and fumbled to get the right one, walking toward the last door on the right side of the hallway before unlocking it. Unfortunately for Jou, his apartment had thin walls and he could hear everything around him, including the neighbors next door who liked to fuck each other at all hours of the night.

Hopefully they wouldn't be home. Walking into the foyer, he became very conscious of just how small his studio was. The kitchen stove only had two burners, the fridge was tiny, and instead of a nice big living room, he only had a futon and medium sized TV. Usually he didn't mind the accommodations, but he knew Kaiba would silently be judging him.

"It's small, I know…"

And dumping his keys on the kitchen counter, he turned on the stove burner and got a pot of water going. Hopefully if he made something halfway edible for Kaiba, he'd be somewhat bearable for the rest of the evening.

Jonouchi's place was very…Spartan, Kaiba supposed, but it was clean. He could handle low-class environments if there was some self-respect to be seen…

He decided to invite himself to take a seat, since Jonouchi didn't offer. That irritated him, but he wasn't going to pass up a chance to have a seat after all that damn running. He grudgingly munched the octopus balls to sate his appetite while he waited. After swallowing, he addressed Jonouchi.

"So I assume you've invited me to stay for the night, then? Unless, of course, you're of a mind to walk me back to uptown Domino so I can sleep at the office."

Ah fuck. He didn't know how to respond to that question and refusing to look Kaiba in the face, he thought over the answers he could give him. Jou wasn't exactly required to keep him over night, or walk him back… not that it was all that safe to try and do that. Like hell if Jou would get back home alone without running into one old gang member…

And the space was small. He had only one futon and he couldn't imagine sharing it with Kaiba of all people. When Honda used to stay over it wasn't so bad, because they could just watch porn together and laugh shit off, but the other man wasn't anything like the blond's old best friend. He would be a pain to take care of and Jonouchi knew he'd be required to feed him in the morning.

"I guess you can stay. Just know you're sharing that futon with me. If you have a problem with that, you can figure out some other place to stay."

Thankfully the water was boiling so he didn't have to look Kaiba in the face as he said that. Dumping dried noodles into the hot liquid, he worked on softening them before going through his collection of sauces. He was still kinda hungry himself and fresh noodles sounded delightful.

Kaiba blinked at Jonouchi. Sharing a futon? That was…bad. Futon mats weren't particularly large. That could be highly problematic. Maybe if things got bad, he'd just sleep in the bathtub. But that was a last resort…

At least he had a place to stay the night, now, and guaranteed dinner. The octopus balls were gone, and his stomach still felt as empty as it had before he'd emptied the bucket.

"I can tolerate sleeping on your futon," Kaiba sighed, "I hope you don't snore."

Rather than leave room for a response to that question, he continued.

"How long will the food take?"

"Pfft, 'I hope you don't snore'," muttered Jou under his breath before replying, "I'll be done with this in a new minutes."

He didn't say anything else, and suddenly it felt really awkward in the tiny room. Looking over his shoulder, he could see Kaiba sitting in the floor with his legs crossed, staring at the wall in front of him. Really, it wasn't the blond's idea to have him there over night, but he couldn't do anything about it. Cabs were expensive, and he doubted that one would stop by in his side of town.

"Uhh… so how's Mokuba?"

Kaiba stiffened. He didn't want to talk about that, particularly. The mere thought of discussing it made his chest constrict with an aching loneliness that was almost too powerful to bear.

"He's fine," he replied crisply, before feeling that he was being too unfriendly for a self-invited guest and adding, "He's in his first year of high school. He's doing well. He has his own life now, so we spend less time together than we once did."

Perhaps he shouldn't have allowed remorse to enter that last part of his statement, but it had been unavoidable. Even he only had so much power to resist emotion.

"That's not important right now, regardless," Kaiba grasped for a new conversation topic, "What have you been doing all this time? You've changed since I last saw you."

"I changed? How exactly?"

Finishing with the food, Jonouchi poured two helpings into a pair of white bowls and added the flavoring powder before using chopsticks to mix it in. The water turned a light brown in the being beef and scallion ramen, and wishing for some tea, Jou got a kettle going. He didn't have the expensive stuff, but it was decent enough to get by with.

"I was in California for about a year before coming back home. It was… interesting. Yugi's still there too right now, but I guess the change wasn't best for me. I'm glad to be back home."

Kaiba's reluctance to talk about Mokuba was obvious, but Jou said nothing about it. Really it wasn't any of his business, and he knew how it worked between siblings regardless. His own sister rarely ever talked to him, and even though he missed her, it was going to be a long time before their mother would allow them to see each other again.

"You've changed since you left the country," Kaiba noted, eyeing the noodles. He was embarrassingly hungry. "You hold yourself differently now. I also noticed that you seem to have pulled yourself out of the gutter finally, though I would have thought you'd prefer…a more accommodating dwelling."

Kaiba couldn't help but note that Jonouchi mentioned Yugi, despite the fact that Kaiba hadn't asked after him. Whether it was because he thought Kaiba wanted to know, or because he was still dependent on the presence of Yugi in his life was uncertain. Whatever the case, this was difficult enough without throwing Yugi into the equation.

He was distracted when his stomach rumbled at the smell of the seasoned noodles and broth, and he reached for his bowl and a pair of chopsticks. He'd waited long enough to fill his stomach.

"I can't afford a better place. All the apartments in Domino are small unless you have families, so this is what I have to deal with. It's not really that bad though, I don't think. Unlike some people, I don't get bugs inside here and the neighbors are generally pretty quiet… Except for the people right next door."

He didn't need to tell Kaiba about them, and taking a bowl for himself, he sat cross-legged next to Kaiba on the futon. Mixing his food still, he couldn't make up his mind to eat yet, not when the male right beside him made him feel so damn uncomfortable. It was like Kaiba was always studying him, and unable to act like himself, he just stared at his food for the longest time.

"And just for the record, I was never in the gutter before. I can't help my family situation, so get off it already."

"You seem determined to look at compliments in the worst possible light," Kaiba muttered, noticing that Jonouchi was choosing to stare at his food rather than eat it. He seemed uncomfortable, and his behavior put Kaiba off—if only because he was resisting the feeling of guilt that threatened to wriggle into him.

"It's noteworthy that you managed to pull yourself off the bottom rung of society. It takes a lot of luck and hard work to change one's social status."

Yes, luck, hard work…or skill. He wasn't prepared to accept that Jonouchi had that kind of capability, just yet.

"I am glad to hear that there isn't a bug problem. I wasn't particularly looking forward to waking up covered in ants, or being shocked into consciousness by cicadas."

Yes, he was relieved to hear that, but he was wondering about these neighbors Jonouchi had vaguely mentioned. He slurped his noodles, concentrating on food as he tried to think of something else to say. He had never really had a conversation with Jonouchi—at least, not one that actually involved an exchange rather than a string of insults and the resulting anger.

Leaving the noodles untouched on the coffee table, Jou got up rather abruptly and went to handle the tea. He ignored the social status comment Kaiba made, not wanting to get himself into another spat with the man, and adding the herbs to the boiling liquid, he hoped that maybe it would help settle his nerves.

It was either that or standing outside an open window to smoke. He couldn't stand being in such close quarters with someone he disliked so much, but there was no way Jou was going to be a bad host. His mother could call him whatever she wanted, but he was not uncivilized. And he'd die before Kaiba could tell anyone that he didn't treat him fairly in his own home.

"You can hear the cicadas at night," remarked Jou, "but they don't ever get inside. It's not really that bad. In Tokyo you can hear those pests all over."

And taking the tea off the burner and turning the stove off, he poured two cups and sat back down, purposely avoiding eye contact as he drank.

Kaiba scrutinized Jonouchi through the corners of his eyes as he continued to eat, wondering what he'd done wrongly outside of simply being present. Was there no way to successfully converse with this man? He'd tried to compliment him, backhanded as it may have been, but the only improvement it had made in Jonouchi's mood was discouraging outright argument, it seemed. Either Jonouchi was enraged and keeping it to himself, or he was planning to kill Kaiba in his sleep.

Neither of those ideas was particularly appealing, so Kaiba stopped sipping his broth to speak again.

"You lived in Tokyo?" He asked, figuring it was as good a topic as any. Everything else made one or the other uncomfortable, so his best bet now was to jump from subject to subject. While he waited for Jonouchi to respond, he watched his teacup, suddenly wishing he could get his hands on some decaf.

"For a short while, as a kid. My mother lives there with my sister. Sometimes I visit, but not too often."

And not feeling like disclosing any more personal information if he didn't have to, he shut his mouth and stopped talking. Maybe if he tried being anti-social for once, Kaiba would stop asking him questions. He was already tired as it was, and didn't get to cleaning the apartment like he had been planning to do. Houseguests always screwed things up. Sulking some, he made up his mind to just skip dinner.

Maybe a cigarette before bed would help. No doubt he'd end up sleeping on the floor to avoid having to be near Kaiba, who he'd decided to give sole occupation of the futon to avoid argument. His situation had to be some fucked up joke being played on him, because it was all just by chance that he'd run into the other man.

Luck had abandoned him.

Pulling out his cigarette and lighter from the pocket of his pants, he headed toward the balcony to smoke in peace.

Kaiba stood and set his bowl on the nearby counter, grimacing. Somehow, he'd managed to say the wrong thing again. All he'd asked was a simple question, and now Jonouchi was on the balcony throwing himself a pity party and inhaling poison. This was like a streak of bad draws in an important duel, and he didn't like it at all. He knew his luck was shit, but in a duel, skill could pull him through. In a social situation, he was so wary of being hurt or exposed that he couldn't take many chances, if any.

However, he wasn't one to lay his hand over the deck before his last card had been played. He followed Jonouchi to the balcony, deciding that forcing his company on the other man was the only resort at this point—aside from waiting inside for his return like some lonely housewife. No, he wasn't going to do that.

"Is there a reason that nothing I say to you registers correctly?" Kaiba asked accusingly. "Do you just like being angry with me, or do you have a speech comprehension disability?

Jonouchi didn't reply for a long time. Playing around with his cigarette, he took one long drawl before expelling the smoke, well aware of Kaiba's presence. It wasn't just the man's distinctive voice, but also the cologne he wore and the way he breathed that unnerved the blond. His safe place was no longer his own, and not wanting to answer the man, he stared out at the city lights before saying anything right away.

"Yes Kaiba, I enjoy being angry with you. It's my favorite activity in the world, after being called a dog for some three years. There's also being humiliated and treated like crap, I like that a lot too."

Flicking his cigarette, he took another inhale of it before rolling his eyes. He didn't want to stand any longer, feeling tired as he did, and sitting down on the ground, he let his legs drop over the edge of the bars as he continued to smoke.

"You give me no reason to evenwant to talk to you. So don't sound so surprised that I'm not exactly in a social mood, Kaiba. This wasn't how I planned on spending my evening."

"Well, too bad. It's how you're spending your evening now," Kaiba snapped, unable to resist lashing out due to the wounded feeling he had. "What was it that Yugi always harped on? 'Destiny'? Consider this your destiny. I'm here, now, and for the first time in my life I'm trying my very damndest to be agreeable. So what, you had your little fee-fees hurt by me in the past? If I recall correctly, you and Yugi weren't always on the best of terms."

He took a good, deep breath after that tirade, highly irritated by the sight and smell of cigarette smoke; he thought cigarette smoking was disgusting to begin with, but something about seeing Jonouchi do it tugged at him in an unpleasant way. It only added to the negative feelings that stirred in him. Jonouchi's manner, after Kaiba had made some effort to be less hostile than usual, was forcing him to raise his defenses again.

"You don't know anything about me and Yugi, so don't even try talking like you know something."

Throwing the cigarette at Kaiba's feet, Jonouchi lifted himself from the bars of the balcony and stormed back inside. He didn't have to listen to the other man piss him off any more than he allowed, especially since they were in his home. Kaiba was the guest, and if Jou didn't feel like being a social butterfly, that was his business. Fuck him if he thought he was required to talk to him.

It didn't matter anyway. By the next day, Kaiba would be gone from his life again, and Jou could continue as usual. Pulling out the futon, he got it prepared for bed and went looking for extra blankets, not that he'd actually need them. It was ungodly hot in Japan again, and not really needing anything extra since he'd probably end up sleeping on the ground in his underwear, he left a bundle of sheets for Kaiba in case he wanted them. Forget giving him the futon.

"I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

Turning off the lights and grabbing a pillow for himself, he laid down near the very edge of the futon and fumbled with taking off his clothes. He didn't care too much about what Kaiba saw (he had some scars, but who didn't?), and lying with his back to the other male, he shut his eyes and pretended he was alone again.

Kaiba felt his way back into the apartment, wishing the light was still on. Maybe if he just walked slowly, he'd be able to avoid obstacles. Gods, he hadn't been that friendly, but this tantrum was uncalled for.

Well, that was what he thought to his angry self. If he was honest, Jonouchi was perfectly justified, but he wasn't prepared to admit that.

"You bastard," Kaiba hissed, "Turn the damn light back on! The least you could have done was wait for me to—"

He was cut off abruptly when he tripped over Jonouchi and faceplanted into the hard wooden floor. Ow. That tore it. Forget being civil, he was going to make sure he got Jonouchi back for this. The soreness in his nose only intensified his irritation.

"It's not my problem you're half blind," yelled Jou, cursing from the pain. He could feel the man's weight on his legs, and moving away, he bunched them up to his chest before biting his lip. They hurt, mostly from the shock of having Kaiba's chest falling on top of them.

"Goddammit, couldn't you have fallen more gracefully?"

Moving away again in case of retribution, he continued biting his lip while rubbing his legs frantically, trying to ignore the pain. They'd most likely bruise from the impact, which was normal, and not wanting to venture around into the bathroom for pain killers, Jou decided to just deal with it. Falling asleep was the cheapest way to deal with pain.

"And maybe it was your "destiny" to collide with the floor, asshole."

"Well, Jonouchi, if you check outside, you may find one of the fucks I left behind; other than that, I don't give any," Kaiba growled, rubbing his nose. He was in no fit state to deal with Jonouchi's grudge right now, and he found that he reverted into his grumpy attitude almost like it was second nature.

He lay on the futon, displeased that he had to sleep on his side to avoid taking up too much space. Rather than try to fall asleep immediately, he stewed for several minutes over Jonouchi's constant rejection of his conversation attempts (and subsequently causing him to fall on his face).

Then he sighed, feeling very alone in the dark, silent apartment. At least when they'd been fighting, he'd had some company.

"Did I hurt you when I fell?" He asked, figuring it was only good manners.

"Yes… But I'm used to being battered around anyways."

And not quite sure why Kaiba had asked, Jonouchi sighed and turned back to face the kitchen, his back toward the other man. He wished there was a fan in the room, because it felt like some hundred degrees due to the insane heat they were experiencing. Soon, the buzzing of the cicadas started.

"You can have the damn futon, I don't want it…"

It was a crappy futon anyways. He was going to buy a better one as soon as his next paycheck came in. Grumbling in mild pain, he continued to chew on his bottom lip as the smell of familiar cologne assaulted his nose. Feeling the other man close by made his stomach turn. He closed his eyes again and tried to get some sleep.

Kaiba tried to force himself to sleep, to just drop the issue, but something inside him felt completely unsettled. That, combined with the intense heat in the place, kept him awake. Jonouchi was bothering him as usual, now with silence rather than the petulance he'd come to expect from the blond. This would be so much easier if he'd just fight. What happened to him? He was defiant as ever, certainly, but half of what Kaiba had said today would have been enough to make Jonouchi throw down the gauntlet a few years ago.

He grumbled in dissatisfaction and determined that he would force Jonouchi's attention back onto him. He refused to be ignored under any circumstances, but he certainly wasn't going to let Jonouchi off for acting like he was the offended one.

"Jonouchi," he addressed the darkness, quietly so as not to wake the neighbors. It seemed Jonouchi was asleep—or ignoring him still. Wary of getting up to stumble to the other man's new location, he simply called louder: "Jonouchi?"

Opening red-rimmed eyes, the younger male did not want to move. He was almost asleep before hearing Kaiba's voice break the silence, and closing his eyes, the blond wished that he was anywhere but in his apartment. It was hot, his legs were throbbing in pain, and since he wasn't feeling nearly as well as before, he didn't know just how much more of his guest could he handle before trying to kill him.

He stretched out, cracking his joints before grumbling and pressing his pillow hard against his eyes. Maybe Kaiba would get the hint that he wanted to sleep. Talking to him now just was not on his agenda, and he didn't understand why the other man wanted to bother him anyway. Didn't they hate each other? What happened to that?

And after hearing his name called out again and again, Jonouchi turned around sharply before forgetting himself.

"What?"

Kaiba paused. He had neglected to plan ahead further than actually getting Jonouchi's attention. It took little effort for him to invent a topic, however, and his face twisted mildly in disdain as he spoke.

"Why did you start smoking? You do know how bad that is for you and everyone else, don't you?"

Now he was purposely provoking an unpleasant response, but he figured his best bet for getting Jonouchi to talk would be offending him in some way. Certainly, being less abrasive hadn't been an effective strategy earlier.

"Because I can if I fucking want to."

Sighing, Jonouchi rolled onto his back and placed his arms behind his bed. Staring at the dark ceiling was good enough for him, since it wasn't likely that any sleep would be coming to him that night. Besides, his legs felt better stretched out than they did before.

"I've always smoked, for your information. Yes, I know they're bad for my health, but I'm gonna die eventually anyway, so I might as well indulge. It's not like I'm forcing second hand on anyone else."

He didn't even smoke inside his apartment. It reminded him too much of his father, the smell of smoke and alcohol, and choosing to keep it outside made it far more sanitary. Hell if his personal space would ever be disgusting like the old man's. Jou had vowed to be nothing like him.

"Since when did you gain an interest in throwing your life away?" Kaiba scoffed, angry. What little respect he'd gained for Jonouchi was slowly draining away—if not for his apparently long-running habit, then for his apathy toward the negative effects.

"Do you know what cancer is like? You want to die young, lingering and in pain? What about heart disease, stroke, or aneurysm? You actually want to bring that upon yourself?"

He was getting too emotionally engaged with the conversation, but he didn't care just now. He was far too riled up.

"I always knew you were second rate, Jonouchi, but I never thought you were so self-destructive."

"As if you'd give two shits if my stupid ass ended up sick in some hospital… I'll smoke if I fucking want to."

Jonouchi had half a mind to start another cigarette, but the craving for one wasn't quite there yet. It didn't nag at him like it had before, although he definitely needed something to help deal with Kaiba's irritating presence. Not only because they were in the same room, but also because they were so close. Sweating profusely and not enjoying the discomfort, he didn't like having another human being so close under such conditions.

And taking off his shirt without a second thought, he wiped his face before lying on his back and stuffing his pillow over his head. Maybe Kaiba would take a hint. He did not want to talk to the man.

Kaiba grimaced, lying back down himself as he tried to settle his breathing. What the hell was his problem? He hadn't seemed this…cynical in high school. Did something kick him in the ass while he was in America?

Screw him. Just forget it. He didn't even want to talk to that deadbeat anymore, except perhaps to retract all his previous statements about any good points he may have had. In the end, he was the same dead-end loser he'd always been, and the way things looked now, that wasn't going to change.


	2. Chapter 2

Kaiba stared at the ceiling for several hours, steaming. He heard Mokuba's voice in his head accusing him of sulking, but he defiantly 'sulked' further in response. It wasn't until his brain refused to maintain conscious thought that he drifted off.

And that was the precise time the neighbors started going at it. There was a lot of banging around next door before two people speaking rapid Japanese started infiltrating into Jou's apartment, startling the blond awake. He got up, propped up on one elbow, frowning as he realized what was going on.

They were having sex again. Instead of a futon, the couple slept on a mattress with springs and he could hear every single time they banged into it, the rhythmic sounds of love making echoing into his studio. Grumbling, Jonouchi threw his pillow at the wall before getting up, crossing his legs as he fumbled to find his lighter.

"They do this at least two times a week… You would have thought of all nights… Ugh."

It was embarrassing. He doubted someone as sheltered as Kaiba would have ever heard two people fucking next door, and although Jonouchi was no prude by any means… He couldn't help but blush. The moaning was fucking horrible. He tried to find his shirt, hoping that Kaiba was still somehow asleep.

Kaiba wished he was—that would mean that the noise was something in a dream, something he could push out of his subconscious and get rid of. Unfortunately, as he was forced into awareness by the row, he was disappointed to find that the noise was very real.

He sat up, resisting the temptation to cover his ears. Certainly, it wasn't his place to say a couple couldn't enjoy their sex life, but was it possible they didn't know they were being so loud? Probably not. Either they wanted everyone to know how great their sex was, or they were half-deaf themselves. Likely the former, judging by how fake and pornographic the moans sounded.

…Well, he thought that, but he honestly couldn't say for sure. He did prefer to believe the option that allotted him more feelings of hatred toward the people disrupting his sleep, though, so he stuck with his verdict.

"I had hoped that I'd be ending the day with some sleep," Kaiba complained, forced to speak at normal volume to be heard, "But it seems your neighbors have other ideas. How long do they normally keep this up?"

"It depends. Usually some fifteen minutes, if we're lucky. The guy seems to hold up for a very long time…"

And snorting, Jonouchi began playing with his lighter. He wasn't tired anymore, after being rudely awakened for the second time, so messing around with fire was a fine enough activity to do until the desire for rest came upon him again. It wasn't like he had to be anywhere early in the morning, especially since Yugi's grandpa didn't open the shop until around ten most mornings.

"Funny how the other half lives, isn't it Kaiba? I bet you've never heard two people having sex before. It's something else. Sometimes Honda and I used to tape record them doing this and-"

He stopped himself, shutting the top of his lighter before shaking his head. Kaiba probably wasn't listening to him, and he wouldn't want to hear his ramblings after all the bickering they had been doing.

"It's just funny to me. You get used to the noise."

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi's silhouette, finishing the dangling statement he'd made and wondering if what he was thinking could possibly be what Jonouchi had meant. Then he shook it off, feeling the need to defend himself.

"Do you think I don't live in the real world? I've stayed in hotels, Jonouchi. I've heard people having sex. And I'm sure you know that the internet is full of people exhibiting themselves."

He grimaced, all ready enraged again. The day he let Jonouchi talk down to him would be the day he was laid in his coffin.

"I didn't think someone like you would take pleasure in watching internet porn all day… Or stay in hotels with thin walls…"

Snorting, he tossed his lighter on top of his pants, which laid a few feet away. They were crumpled on the floor along with his shirt, socks, and belt, and staring at them, Jonouchi wondered how Kaiba could sleep comfortably in his own clothes. It was muggy as hell inside, and without air conditioning or a fan, the only way to cool down was usually sleeping naked.

"Anyways, I wasn't trying to insult you. Sometimes, Kaiba, you really are too sensitive about things, it must be exhausting being angry with everyone all the damn time. I know I wouldn't be able to handle it.

And you wonder why I smoke."

Kaiba's jaw clenched, his teeth grinding, and he forced his face to relax before he gave himself a tension headache.

"I'm being to sensitive? I am? If I recall correctly, you threw a shit fit because I asked you about living in Tokyo."

He felt his temperature rising. He'd been able to suffer through the heat before, but it seemed to be getting progressively warmer, and his body was burning from his rising anger. Tugging at his collar wasn't releasing enough heat, and he eventually resorted to removing his over shirt. He felt distinctly uncomfortable being in any state of undress with Jonouchi around, but at least he still had his pants and undershirt…

He kicked the blankets away to avoid stifling his legs further, and smoothed his hair with one hand. Maybe Jonouchi couldn't see him, but if the lights switched on unexpectedly, he wasn't going to look disheveled.

Jonouchi gave Kaiba a disbelieving look before cracking his neck. The desire to smoke was coming on and he wanted nothing more than to put something on his lips and just suck the poison out of it. Sure, it was a disgusting habit and he wanted to quit… but it felt good while doing it.

"I didn't throw a fit, I just didn't feel like talking about it. It's not like you wanted to chat over Mokuba with me. Jeez, you really are something. Nothing about you has changed, unfortunately. I thought maybe after a few years, someone would have calmed you down. Apparently not."

And grinning a little, he turned his head towards the wall, listening in on the moans of the people next door. They were close to done, he could tell from the man's rather abrupt-sounding cries that usually told Jonouchi he was going to finish soon. The woman wasn't nearly as loud, but sometimes he could hear a distinctive high pitched cry, and snorting in amusement, he became very distracted by the noise.

Kaiba scowled. He was way too overheated. He assumed it was a combination of the noise, his frustration, and the fact that it really was too hot outside. Perhaps it was good he'd been rudely awakened—otherwise, he may have smothered in his sleep or something equally foolish.

He removed his undershirt, figuring that Jonouchi couldn't see him anyway, and stood to slide out of his pants as well. He all ready felt some modicum of relief, but the absence of the sun had certainly not brought a refreshing breeze with it.

"Don't get haughty with me, bon—Jonouchi. When I came here this evening, I was hardly as unpleasant as I could have been. Everything I said to you was taken as an offense."

He tossed his pants at the floor as if they were the source of his irritation, and crossed his arms, huffing.

"And it seems you haven't really changed, either, so you're hardly on the high ground here."

"Everything that comes out of your mouth is offensive… but I bet you don't even notice anymore. You're either asking me personal questions, or talking down at me like I'm some idiot. Well, for the record, I'm not the one who went chasing after some classmate through a neighborhood he didn't know and got lost in the bad side of town. That was all on you."

Huffing, he turned his back to Kaiba and stared at the kitchen. It was tiny, without much of anything useful in it. He liked his old apartment in the states, with the amazing appliances and huge-ass refrigerator that could store just about anything. The stove could cook whole roasts in it, and after a great year of feasting on American food, he was stuck with nothing.

Again.

"What do you want from me?"

Kaiba retook his seat on the futon, mulling over the question. He genuinely couldn't answer. And whether he would admit it to Jonouchi or not, it was true he'd put himself in this situation. He hardly agreed that everything he said was offensive—it wasn't his fault if those around them were so delicate that they needed special consideration.

Maybe he had been condescending. But he had every right to be—he was Jonouchi's better, was he not? Did that even matter to him anymore, or was he clinging to his elitism for familiarity's sake?

He didn't care to examine himself, at the moment, so he focused on Jonouchi instead.

"If you had a problem with personal questions, the mature response would have been to say so," Kaiba muttered, realizing he was running out of things of which to accuse Jonouchi, but unwilling to give up the fight just yet. "Instead, you blew me off and behaved as if I'd stolen your last beer—or cigarette, as it were."

"Maybe I should have said so, but I didn't throw some tantrum like you're making it out to have been. Besides, I don't see why you'd want to know about me anyways. You've made it clear that you don't like me, you've never wanted to be my friend, and I don't think you needing me to save your stupid ass from the street thugs changes anything. You're only being decent to me because I'm still valuable to you.

So like I said before, what do you want from me?"

He wanted to punch Kaiba in the face. Looking at the other man, he didn't think it would be too hard to pull off. Unlike two years before, he didn't look so in shape anymore, and maybe taking him by surprise would do it. Instead of feeling so lowly next to him, Jonouchi would finally have the chance at being "top dog" as it were. Then again, it wasn't really a good idea.

And hearing the couple next door finally quiet down, he shook his head and ran a hand through his hair… he didn't expect to get a good answer.

Kaiba simply sat quietly, forced to put a deep level of thought into the question because he didn't know the answer. No matter how hard he searched for a response, he came up with nothing. Jonouchi was being far too unflappable for him to get a rise and derail the conversation. He sighed deeply, suddenly feeling cornered and unable to fight his way out.

"If I knew what I wanted from you, I'd have got it by now."

There was no option left but honesty, he supposed. It was too damn hot to continue the constant cycle of anger and argument.

"Do you want to get along or not?" asked Jonouchi, looking over his shoulder timidly before moving back towards the futon. He was wide awake now, and too bothered to try sleeping. Maybe in another hour he'd fall into his dreams again, but while his blood still rushed hot through him and he could feel his heart pumping, he was ready.

For what though, he wasn't entirely sure. Finding a spot to sit next to Kaiba, he crossed his bruised legs again and thought about trying again, to get along. Maybe he should have tried turning the other cheek, even if it didn't always work. Yugi had given him second, third… hell, fifth chances at friendship, and it wasn't like Kaiba was an awful person. He just always chose to be unbearable.

"I used to want to be friends with you in high school, until I found out you were just an asshole."

Kaiba snorted at that. He couldn't rightly deny it. He certainly hadn't been an approachable or friendly person. There were times, when he was alone at night (usually just as he fell asleep) that he wished he'd acted differently; put away his arrogance and crippling wariness of rejection and taken a chance on Yugi and his group of friends.

Jonouchi was sitting next to him now, unexpectedly. Maybe he was trying to show that he was being friendly again, even though his words were offensive.

"I'm not just an asshole," he defended weakly, "I'm cautious about exposing my other qualities. Most people aren't trustworthy."

"People aren't trustworthy? Jeez, no offense Kaiba, but you're not the center of everyone's universe. Most people probably don't care about what your "hidden" qualities are, or whatever thing you're trying to hide from everyone. It's silly, if you ask me.

Besides, don't you get lonely being like this all the time? You can't depend on your brother for company forever-"

The idea was kinda sad, when he thought about it. Mokbua was a teenager living his own life while his brother was still emotionally stunted. It was slightly pathetic, and frowning, Jonouchi wondered what was the real cause of it.

"-I mean, he's gonna want to get married and all of that eventually, and you can't always be there."

Kaiba sighed, staring straight ahead in the darkness. Damn it all. Jonouchi had always known just what to say to make his skin crawl. How could he seem like such an idiot and be so perceptive at the same time? He didn't know what to say. Maybe Jonouchi was right. But admitting that would mean that he was wrong, and if he was wrong, then reasonably he would have to change.

Was he ready to face that? Probably not. He'd never been particularly good at it. Clinging to his beliefs got him this far…

That said, they were making a habit of blowing up in his face.

"I know," was all he could manage in response, and he hoped he hadn't come off sounding as uncertain as he felt.

"So then uh, what are you gonna do about it?"

Blinking, he stared at Kaiba looking for an answer. It was rather pointless, because the brunet was so good at hiding his facial expressions. Unlike Jonouchi, who displayed a varied display of emotions across his face without any emotional issues, Kaiba seemed content to either look completely bored or angry.

Twitching his nose and feeling slightly uncomfortable for staring, Jou looked away.

"What can I do about it?" Kaiba scoffed, feeling a little bitter—at whom, he couldn't be sure. "I've never had to think about it before, really, aside from once or twice when Yugi beat me. It seems far too late for a fresh start-"

He looked at Jonouchi, who had for some reason averted his gaze.

"-unless you have any suggestions."

May as well ask Jonouchi. Either they'd fight some more, Jonouchi would come up with something Kaiba was willing to accept, or they'd give up and sleep till morning, carrying on with their lives as before when it was over.

"I don't know…"

And getting up, Jonouchi stumbled around his living room before reaching the kitchen counter and pulling open one of the drawers. He didn't think Kaiba had his deck with him, so regular cards would have to work out. Taking a seat in front of the larger man and turning on a lamp, the blond cut the deck several times before splitting it up.

"But I'm not tired enough to sleep and it seems like as good a time as any to play a game of cards. How about war?"

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi, then immediately forced himself to stop when he realized they were both in a state of undress and his attention could be misconstrued. Then he observed the deck of cards. War? Really?

Then again, there was nothing better to do, and it was a distraction from his self-identity crisis, so why not? Wary as he was that the luck aspect of the game would give Jonouchi an advantage, he wasn't discouraged enough to refuse the offer of a 'friendly' game.

"All right, let's play."

Jonouchi was too oblivious to give their half nudity a second thought. If the world would have allowed it, he would have run around half naked without an ounce of shame. Despite a few scars, one large cut on his back, and his newly bruised legs, he thought himself pretty damn good looking and didn't care if people stared at him.

Although if he knew that Kaiba was, it probably would have made him a little uncomfortable.

"I'm gonna just assume you know how to play," he said, while shuffling his cards together, "And if I win, I won't hold it against you. It doesn't really mean anything."

And flipping his first card, he challenged his guest with a ten of hearts.

Kaiba sighed and flipped his own first card. Two of clubs. Lovely start.

"Your legs look bruised. Doesn't that hurt?"

He knew Jonouchi was tough, but it bothered him to see his injuries. Perhaps he had 'sympathy pain', but he couldn't bring himself to think that was wrong, necessarily. He wanted to ask about the scars that stood out on Jonouchi's body, but remembering Jonouchi's discomfort with personal questions, he refrained from prying for now.

Grinning like a fool, Jonouchi snatched the cards and placed them at the bottom of his deck before flipping the next one over. It was a lame five of aces, and blowing air up at his bangs, he knew Kaiba stood a better chance at winning than the time before. Sure, he usually had luck on his side, but it didn't keep for very long, if ever.

"Yeah, they hurt, but I'm used to it."

And relaxing his position a little, he waited for Kaiba to make his turn. It was weird seeing him in normal clothes, and afraid of staring, he refrained from looking the man in the face. Not only was it rude, but Jou found it embarrassing.

"Don't worry Kaiba, I forgive your chest for crippling me."

"Tch," Kaiba huffed, upset by his loss of the first round and slightly put off by Jonouchi's flippant attitude about his injuries. Surely, he must have more consideration for his own well being than that? He should at least get some ice, or painkiller…but it wasn't Kaiba's place to insist.

Maybe he shouldn't be paying so much attention to Jonouchi's body, anyway. This could change from awkward to downright uncomfortable in seconds, and he certainly didn't want to be the one to cause the transition.

He placed another card on the table, grimacing when it was revealed to be a two of hearts. Damn his accursed luck…certainly, Jonouchi was better gifted in that department. But, unless he got the worst possible deck cut, he had to pull winning cards at some point.

"Did you like living in America?" He asked, unused to small talk, but forced to avoid prying topics.

"Oh yeah I did. The apartments are so much bigger. I had everything I wanted there. They also have less expensive fruit, and I could eat just about whatever I wanted without breaking bank…"

Thinking about it made his brows furrow. He remembered clearly when he'd decided to move back to Japan. Sure, it was nice being home again, but what really did Jonouchi have back in Domino? His own family was displaced all over the map, he had no idea where his father was… And it didn't help that he was stuck living in lesser conditions than what he had back in California.

"Maybe after a few years here, I'll move back. I want to move back. It's just so much better there. It's less expensive, for one, although I did live with a roommate. I'd rather do that again than be stuck listening in on my neighbors having sex forever."

And smirking, he dropped a six of spades.

Damn.

Kaiba had hoped that the third time would be the charm, but such wasn't the case. He revealed his own five of hearts, lips slightly pinched in irritation.

"Do you know how you're planning to get there? You'll need plenty of money, as well as some kind of visa. Your current conditions don't exactly accommodate your plans…though I certainly understand your will to escape your neighbors."

It was true that food in America was more abundant and affordable. Kaiba preferred Japan, himself, but perhaps he was simply proud. Not to mention, he had a lot of stock in his home. Jonouchi did not. Perhaps he'd left behind more good memories in the States than he'd made in Japan.

"I already had a visa, so it's not like I couldn't get another one… I'm thinking about applying for a job there, I just don't know what yet. I mean, school would be great… but I can't afford that."

And taking Kaiba's five, Jou added it to the bottom of his deck before flipping up a three of spades. Biting his lip, he knew he wouldn't win that round, but the three-win streak was at least something. For once, he finally got to enjoy a game without all the drama behind it.

"You've been to the states before. What did you think of it?"

He was curious to know, since he assumed Kaiba had seen more of the country than he himself had. The blond had only seen parts of California, since traveling was so expensive and it took too long to get anywhere. Japan was relatively easy to get around, but the west coast? Not so much.

Kaiba hummed in satisfaction as he placed an eight of clubs on the table. Finally, he drew a winning card. He didn't know if he could psychologically handle too long a losing streak.

"Everything there is certainly…larger," including waistlines, "I can see what you appreciate about it. There are things about the United States that I can't deny are good, but many other things there make me wary of staying. It's strange to go to a country and suddenly become a 'minority'."

He shifted, not wanting his muscles to become stiff as he sat seiza.

"The wide open spaces were refreshing, and there's an interesting variation of landscape and weather…but the lack of practicality in walking around is undeniable. And the vehicle density is disconcerting."

He remembered how different it had been driving in the States—not only because of the opposite-side driving, but also because of the congestion on the roads and the fact that the drivers were just as mad as they were on the less dense streets of Japan.

"The further West you travel, the more insane everyone is. It's where the crazy people go to escape. The South is free, but very…colonially-minded, I suppose you could say. The more you travel north, the more liberal people are, but they like constructing societal traps and the expenses are astronomical"

Snorting from the loss, Jonouchi blew his bangs out of his face again before placing down another card. It was a jack of hearts, and feeling pretty good about it, he began grinning while he watched Kaiba's face for any hints of anxiety. Although Jou had told him the game didn't mean anything, he knew that secretly, Kaiba always played to win. If he lost to him, it would be the end of the world as they knew it.

"I'd like to still go to New York, if only to visit Anzu sometime. She finally left Tokyo after dance school and I think she's dancing somewhere professionally now. Besides, I never liked this city that much anyways…

You might feel comfortable here, but everywhere I go, people keep calling me gajin behind my back. It's so stupid, all because of my damn blond hair. I mean sure, most Japanese people don't look like me, but I'm still a native. I was born here, and I'm sick of being called that all the damn time."

"It won't be any different in America," Kaiba argued, feeling like he was playing devil's advocate, "When you go there, you'll be a foreigner, and you'll feel it even more. Here, you are assumed to be a foreigner, and it affects you. I can tell you from experience that you won't escape it."

He still remembered, with some disdain, the way his new American business associates had regarded him back in his first business venture there. Are you wearing contacts? I didn't know Japanese had blue eyes. Oh, you don't look Asian! Could you repeat that? I can't understand your accent. Accent, indeed! If they couldn't understand an unaffected English accent, then they were fools. It made his chest constrict slightly in indignation just thinking about it, but he forced himself to relax. Those weren't appropriate thoughts for this situation. He set his own card—four of clubs—before continuing.

"New York is…not bad, I suppose," he offered, trying not to completely dash Jonouchi with his pessimism, "It's extremely expensive—rivals California in that department. And the people are…bitter. But no matter who you are, the moment a serviceman realizes they can save you money, they'll do their damdest to manage it."

Kaiba didn't know if he 'preferred' Domino, in all honesty. He still favored his home city of Osaka, despite having been away from there for so long. But Domino was fine, in his opinion; perhaps it was because he'd been far and wide, and found that everyone was fundamentally the same in the first world. Or maybe he was jaded. Maybe Jonouchi could see things through eyes unclouded by disillusionment.

"But at least there, they won't make fun of me for it. I mean, I can't tell you how many damn times I've had people think I was American and they wouldn't talk to me because of it. They thought my Japanese wasn't right, for whatever reason, when you and I both know that isn't true. My English is shitty…"

And smirking again, he snatched Kaiba's four and drew a new card, flipping it over to only find a lame six of aces. Maybe the brunet would finally get the upper hand, because his deck was slowly dying and Jou was beginning to think he'd actually manage to win a game for once.

"Besides, it sounds like you're the bitter one… Do you like anywhere you've been? I don't hate any place I've gone, I just prefer certain things… Like not having walls so paper thin I can hear my neighbors every other night. For what I'm paying here, I could get double the space overseas and have better, sound-proof walls."

"I suppose I do remember the bad things more," Kaiba admitted, grimacing as he dropped his own two of spades. A curse on this deck. "At my income level, things like housing and food aren't very noteworthy. I dislike the difference in price, but more than that, I dislike the lack of respect I was shown in the West.

Here, everyone knows who I am. My infamy makes them bite their tongues. In the West, they don't care. The slander and bigotry astonish me. I recall too many occasions when I was asked humiliating questions about my ethnicity on live television, or someone I worked with made remarks about Japanese stereotype in front of me."

He sighed, feeling somehow guilty for having so little regard for foreign lands, especially as he realized that Jonouchi had a liking for them.

"If you try to convince me that you didn't face discrimination because of your accent while you were in America, I will call you out on it. It simply is not believable. But I suppose it's fair to say that I prefer Japan because I have an advantage here. You, on the other hand…you have struggles to deal with that I do not."

Jonouchi didn't find the conversation too appealing any longer. Not wanting to discuss his future plans any longer, he snatched Kaiba's card before laying down another. It was a king, and Jou kind of hoped that his rival would somehow pull off an ace to beat him, because the game was beginning to grow dull.

"I think I'm going to step outside in a minute to smoke-"

The urge was coming back and he couldn't fight it. Ever since his friends left, he lost all motivation to keep the dirty habit at bay, and despite his desire to not end up like his father, smoking was just one of those addictions he wasn't yet willing to give up. Alcohol was easy enough to avoid, but cigarettes? They were always calling to him.

"I'll be right back."

Kaiba watched Jonouchi step outside, this time biting his tongue on the issue. He forcefully reminded himself that it wasn't his place to critique the other man's living habits. If he wanted to throw money and life away, it was his business. But something about the entire idea made Kaiba's gut churn.

He sighed and set his card, which was the queen of clubs. He'd lost by an inch, and the majority wins went to Jonouchi. Proof still that his luck was complete and utter bull.

He scowled a little, displeased with his loss and feeling less than joyful about the fact that Jonouchi had ditched to feed his addiction. And he was certainly addicted—if not, he could have waited until their game was over. He wouldn't choose the probability of pain and death over quitting. Kaiba indulged in occasional alcohol consumption, and he tended to binge when he drank, but he controlled his desires. They didn't control him.

"Hey," he called, wishing not to be left alone with his thoughts any longer, "How much longer are you going to take?"

"Five minutes, chill out…"

Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi flicked his cigarette once, watching the ashes fall off before bringing it to his lips again. He was standing with his arms crossed over the railing, watching the midnight sky with half interest. He didn't care if he was half-naked and people could see him. It was something he did all the time without shame. It didn't even bother him that sometimes the girls next door would stare at him. Taking one slow drag, he turned his head to look back at his guest.

Kaiba looked pissed. He was staring, and taking another drag of smoke, Jou turned back around and grumbled. How did he get stuck with him? Sure, he was winning the game and that would probably be the only time between the two that he'd ever manage a victory, but it was annoying still having gotten stuck with him.

Kaiba was a killjoy.

"Don't tell me you're missing me already, moneybags."

And after one last drag, he took a look out at the city, spotting the Kaiba Corp building out near the ocean. Sneering at it, Jou threw his cigarette at it before reentering the apartment and flipping the next card. Queen of hearts.

"If there's nothing else to be said about you, Jonouchi, it's that a room is far quieter when you leave," Kaiba muttered, avoiding the admittance that he had missed Jonouchi's presence, at the very least. It had been a while since he'd spent time around anyone in a casual context—Mokuba was growing into an adult and needed most of his time to himself. And he seemed to be dating, which made him unhappy, but he couldn't figure out how to stop his brother from doing it without being smothering.

His card this time was the King of spades, and he internally celebrated his victory. Jonouchi seemed a bit sour, despite having his nicotine fill, and Kaiba realized he must have put him off again. Too bad—they'd actually been getting along fairly well, and he was losing steam. He couldn't put up with another string of battles just now, so he forced his expression to soften.

"Do you have work in the morning?"

"Yeah, I do."

And frowning, Jonouchi watched Kaiba take away his queen before flipping the next card. This time it was just a 2 of diamonds. His luck had run out, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Now the game would finally get interesting, and internally he wished they were actually dueling. Sure, he was half brain dead from the lack of sleep, but it would have been fun.

"And I'm sure you do, too. Do you think we could ever have a rematch again? I know you think it would be a huge waste of time and whatever, but it might be fun. Just something to do…"

He didn't honestly think he'd win, after losing so many times to Kaiba in the past, but it could be fun. If the other man didn't take the game too seriously, and maybe they just played without a crowd, there could be some fun to be had in it.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow at his own Ace of spades.

"Yes, I believe we will have a rematch," he replied, setting the card on the table, "It's not exactly an intellectual game, but it's something to pass the time while we…talk."

That was strange. Casual conversation over a parlour game?

"Normally, I might consider it a waste of time. I don't have anything else to distract my attention, however, and when you're not being obnoxious, I find your company tolerable."

Kaiba rubbed his eyes, his tiredness coming over him in full now that his anticipation over the game had dissipated. It was probably the wee hours of the morning, and he had work at ten…

"No Kaiba, I'm talking about a duel. I want a rematch. You and me, no one watching."

This face got really intense as he thought about it, hoping Kaiba would accept. He couldn't care less about wining at war, and after losing his two, he dropped a ten of spades down and figured the game would almost be over. His opponent looked exhausted, and he'd probably end up forfeiting soon just from being too tired to keep playing.

"You're the only duelist right now I could imagine going up against… if only to see if I've gotten any better."

At first, Kaiba gaped at Jonouchi in disbelief, unable to fathom that he would want to have a rematch at Duel Monsters, of all things. Kaiba had retired from professional gaming, for starters, and Jonouchi had told him he'd failed on his ventures in America. Why would he ask for trouble?

Then he recalled his most recent duel with Jonouchi, and after that, the duel Jonouchi had fought against Marik. Perhaps he wasn't giving his dueling prowess due credit.

"So you want to have a private match against me?" Kaiba asked, mostly to affirm that he hadn't misinterpreted. He grumbled quietly as he set a three of clubs.

"I suppose there'd be no harm in it…" he began before snorting. "Actually, that's a complete lie. I'm still not a graceful winner or loser. But if you're sure you want to do it, I can…try to be civil."

"I'm a big boy, I can handle whatever you throw at me. I'm not gonna start crying because you like taunting and don't exactly know how to play nice," said Jonouchi, as he snatched Kaiba's card, "And I certainly don't need babying. Play mean if you want, I don't care."

Sighing, the blond picked up another card from his deck, revealing a Jack of diamonds. He didn't think Kaiba was going to beat him after all, his luck being absolutely horrible by all accounts. If it was any other night, he would have thought the brunet would have started insulting him out of frustration, but Jonouchi was surprised by his more… sedated state.

"And I'm curious… Why did you give up dueling? You were one of the best, even if you were a poor loser."

Kaiba felt that he should be at least halfway offended, but honestly he was getting too tired to keep up appearances, and was for once not in the mood to piss Jonouchi off. He grimly set his nine of spades on the table.

"A few reasons," he began, "I was one of the best, it's true. But after Yu—Atem passed on, I…there was no one else. I had no rival. No one whose skill and prowess could truly match or surpass mine.

That, and I saw the new generation of duelists gaining reputations and trying to reach the top. As the game changed and new faces appeared, I started to think I shouldn't stand in their way."

He paused, wondering if he should address Jonouchi's other statement regarding 'playing mean', but he figured he should let it drop.

"I also needed to devote more time to the company. Professional gaming is a full-time activity. I had Mokuba and KaibaCorp to support, and skating through tournaments for the sake of winning duels wasn't responsible."

"When you put it that way, I guess not. And you can't tell me I wasn't a challenge, either. I almost beat you in our Battle City match and managed to steal one of your blue eyes white dragons. I'm sure you didn't see that coming. Yeah, you got me at the end, but I wasn't an easy opponent. Don't insult me."

He snatched Kaiba's last card, grinning at his win. Sure, it wasn't a game of any skill, but it still felt nice getting him at something. Usually he wasn't so lucky and the brunet got the best of him, but not this time. Gloating a little, Jonouchi took the cards and reshuffled the deck before setting it back down beside him. He sat cross-legged next to the futon.

"You look uptight, sitting like that… I know it's traditional and all, but you're making me nervous."

Despite it being late, Jou actually felt a little chatty. They'd had a rough evening, but talking to Kaiba while he was too tired to argue was actually somewhat interesting; hoping maybe to make something out of the positive interactions between them, Jonouchi rested his elbows on his knees and sat his chin on one palm of his hand.

"Can I tell you something?"

Kaiba crossed his legs, slightly relieved to be moving. Secretly, he hadn't known if his sitting casually in Jonouchi's house would be taken as an offense. Evidently, the opposite was closer to being such. He wondered that Jonouchi felt the need to ask before saying anything, since he'd never done so before, but perhaps that meant his statement held more meaning to him than most.

"You're free to tell me anything, Jonouchi," Kaiba replied, letting his elbows rest comfortably near his knees, "People can say whatever they please. What isn't guaranteed are the consequences."

"I don't think this is something you can beat at me for anyways," mumbled Jonouchi, as he looked away. He couldn't look Kaiba in the face while he admitted to something embarrassing and private—something he hadn't even told Yugi or Honda because it had bothered him for so many years.

"You used to be my idol. Back before I knew what an asshole you were, of course, but I looked up to you. I mean, you had the best gaming reputation of anyone, with all those wins at duel monsters and chess. Hell, you had the highest scores at all the arcades and none of us could beat them.

Then there's that whole adoption thing. I know you're… sensitive about that whole, but not many people could deal with it as well as you have. People looked up to you for a long time, and I know most people still do. I can't anymore, but hey, that's what I get for knowing you, right?"

Once done with his speech, he rolled his eyes at himself and sighed. Thank goodness it was dark, because Jou knew he had to be blushing from the whole spill, and he didn't want Kaiba seeing that. It would have been too much, and he could never live down the embarrassment.

"I just still don't understand why you had to hate all of us so much. We really did just want to be your friends."

Kaiba found that his fists were clenched, and he thanked the darkness for hiding his face. Certainly, he knew his brow was creasing, and he was biting his lip. He felt constricted and choked up, and simultaneously angry that Jonouchi had caused this response to occur.

"Maybe you'll never understand," he lamented, surprised at the quietness of his own voice, "But I suppose after hearing what you told me, I can at least…try to explain."

He sighed, trying to exhale the tightness in his chest. He didn't succeed.

"If I had to be perfectly honest, I'd say I'm a coward," he muttered, "I've kept everyone at bay and clung to what I was taught by my adoptive father because it keeps me safe. I've survived this long with my sanity intact because I held on to what I knew, and I doubt you've forgotten my firm beliefs. I always look ahead, and I depend only on myself."

He rubbed his eyes again, partly because despite the darkness he felt awkward and scrutinized looking anywhere.

"When I was a teenager, and thought I was infallible, that was all I needed to justify my actions."

"What exactly is making you change your mind about all that now? It can't possibly be from anything I've said tonight, because you've been blowing off my friendship speeches for years…"

Not that Jonouchi was still bitter over it. For the most part he was over it, and getting more comfortable, he laid down on the ground with his stomach against the floor. Grabbing a pillow and resting his head on it, he looked up at Kaiba as the embarrassment died down, ready to face him again.

"And you're not a coward. You're a lot of things Kaiba, but never a coward."

Kaiba felt the urge to lie down as well, but didn't think he could be that close to Jonouchi at present. He slumped against the wall instead, resting his joined hands on his stomach. He wasn't comfortable with honesty and confessions. His strategy in life had always been ensuring that no one ever revealed his secrets—no matter what they may be. Perhaps Jonouchi's uncanny ability to upset his equilibrium was partly why he'd disliked him so much.

"I'm changing my mind now because I have no choice. I've been through too much, and have too much intelligence to hide my head in the sand and remain ignorant. I've had a lot of time alone to think, Jonouchi, and when there was no one around to blame, I had to start accepting the fact that I'm the problem"

The only person ever to make him do that had been Mokuba. It had been during Battle City, when his own brother told him he'd become consumed by his own needless hatred, that he'd stopped to question himself honestly. Even that hadn't really made him change much, but it had begun an eventual landslide of self-examination.

Changing was a tiring process, one for which he had little prowess.

"You're not a problem… just a slight irritation. I'm sure if Yugi and the others were still here, they would have given you a second chance. Hell, I'd give you a second chance, if you were willing to accept me. I'm not above forgiving others, because I know I've done my fair share of stupid that I'm not proud of.

When it came to Yugi, you were partly right about that whole thing. Back in high school, I used to bully the crap out of him. Used him like some punching bag thinking I was making him into a man, all because I knew I could. He wasn't strong enough to defend himself and it wasn't until someone bigger than me kicked my retarded ass, did I learn my lesson. And for whatever reason, he tried to save me.

So yeah, I get what you're going through. I might be Jap trash in your eyes, but I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

Sighing, he looked away and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes were burning from being awake so long, but he didn't feel like sleeping yet. He had a lot on his chest, after years of dealing with Kaiba's constant bullying, and now was probably the only good time he'd get to let it out without being attacked. Straining to stay awake, he looked back up at his guest.

Kaiba mulled over Jonouchi's words, both filing away the information about his and Yugi's past relationship, and processing his semi-offer of companionship. His brain was slowing down, and he only really half cared to wonder how this event had started with Jonouchi fleeing his presence, and ended with…whatever word suited this mutually awkward confessional.

He wasn't sure what to say. He still had his pride that locked his mouth shut and stopped him from making a statement like 'let's be friends'. He was still trying to figure out what he'd say when he remembered the last part of Jonouchi's tirade.

"I don't think you're trash," Kaiba stated, "And I know you aren't stupid. A stupid person doesn't lead the live you've led. Maybe I've never respected you as much as I should, but I'd be a fool to claim you were as bad as-"

He cut off, realizing that the first time he'd met Jonouchi, he had thought he was little more than stupid trash leeching off of Yugi's kindness. Time and actions had proven that Jonouchi was anything but, something which even the arrogant, elitist teenager he'd once been couldn't deny.

"It seems an appropriate time to admit I've been a fool at certain intervals in the past."

"That I was as bad as what?"

Cocking an eyebrow, he really wanted to know just what Kaiba was getting at, but it was late. He could barely keep his mind going, and he knew by morning he'd end up regretting half the shit that came out of his mouth. His guest would return to normal, angry at spending the night at such a dump, and not looking forward to that nasty wake up call, Jou decided to just give up and go to sleep.

"It's all right, forget it. You have work in the morning and so do I. Got a bus to catch and everything. Goodnight."

Letting out one last long sigh, he crawled onto the edge of the futon and lay on his side. There was enough space that they didn't have to end up touching each other (which would only lead to more awkwardness than there already was), and leaving the sheets off because of the heat, Jou only hoped he wouldn't smell too bad in the morning. His stomach lurched several times as he tried telling himself he was alone in his own apartment, and closing his eyes again, he hoped for sleep.

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi, still a little shocked that he'd so suddenly changed gears. He wasn't sure what to do now. He was left with melancholy thoughts about the past, which was never good. But was it okay for him to sleep next to Jonouchi after…that? Well, it must have been—the other man was sleeping on his side at the edge of the mat, making obvious room for him. Somehow, it still felt wrong, as if he'd be doing something too intimate.

'Intimate'? Their conversation was getting to his head.

He sat awake, leaning against the wall, for quite some time afterward. It wasn't until he'd all ready nodded off once or twice and the sound of Jonouchi's deep breathing (but not snoring) became hypnotic that he thought nothing of sleeping with him on the futon.


	3. Chapter 3

It was mid morning when Jonouchi's alarm clock went off, sending him up scrambling from bed awkwardly as he tried figuring out what was going on. After turning off the blaring alarm clock, he heard a groan next to him and gaped a little when he saw who was laying right next to him.

Seto Kaiba, curled up half naked on his side of the bed, looking the most vulnerable Jonouchi had ever seen the man in years. His breathing was loud enough to make out against the noises of the birds outside, and after remembering what happened the night before, Jonouchi couldn't stop grinning. It was funny. Realizing that he didn't have some drunk night of homosexual sex he wasn't aware of ( because why else would a man be in his room?), Jonouchi decided to figure out what to do about breakfast.

Smirking while getting up and looking behind his shoulder once before heading towards the balcony, he figured he'd let Kaiba awake up himself. He was probably already late for work and he really wanted a cigarette before having to deal with an angry house guest.

Kaiba heard Jounouchi walking around, feeling the vibrations against the floor, but wasn't quite ready to open his eyes yet. After figuring out who it was whose alarm had broken him from his sleep, he became very unenthusiastic about facing the day. He was tempted to just go back to sleep for a while, but he knew he had work. It was Jounouchi's house, anyway. It would be far too disrespectful to just sleep there all day.

He sighed, swallowing and grimacing slightly at the bitter taste in his mouth. He hadn't had a chance to brush his teeth the night before. That didn't make him any more confident about facing Jounouchi after what they'd said the night before, but he couldn't bring himself to avoid it any longer.

_Balls to the wall, _he told himself, sitting up slowly and massaging his eyelids to avoid hurting himself when he opened them. They felt sore and a bit puffy from the late night. When he finally glanced around, he saw Jounouchi on the nearby balcony smoking, and fortunately not looking at him just yet. After sitting for a while longer deciding what to do, Kaiba cleared his throat.

"_Ohaiyou gozaimasu_," he greeted, his voice deeper than normal due to just waking, and his tone a bit strained. He wasn't sure how Jounouchi would act now that the comforting blanket of night had passed.

"And good morning to you too, Kaiba," Jonouchi said before blowing out a puff of smoke, "I hope the mattress didn't ruin your sleep too much. I'm sure you don't sleep on a futon at home."

Jonouchi always smoked first thing in the morning. It was a part of his morning routine, before making tea and having whatever food he could find in his house. For the life of him, he couldn't think of anything worth cooking now that he had Kaiba as a guest (and he wasn't trying to scare him away any longer), so he had it in his mind to maybe buy the man breakfast.

If anything, it would be a friendly gesture that would hopefully start some sort of good relationship between the two. He didn't want hostilities to spark up again, especially with the promise of a duel looming in the near future. Flicking his cigarette once, he faced Kaiba as his arms laid against the rail, his eyes still half lid from sleep.

"And I'd cook for you, but I don't think there's really all that much here. We can grab something before work, if that's alright with you. I don't mind buying, I have the money."

Kaiba was surprised by the offer of fully-paid breakfast. Usually, he just had coffee and toast before setting off for work, but he decided not to tell Jounouchi that. Bringing it up would probably just sound contrary, and for the life of him, he didn't want the man to be alienated again. The situation now was strained at best—it could easily careen into hostility.

"I'm sure you have something decent to eat," he argued, "You made a perfectly fine dinner last night."

He stood, wincing a little at a crick in his back that would likely remain for days. Roughing it wasn't really good for him. Evidently, Jounouchi was invincible to the rough life.

"I don't want to make you treat me to breakfast. It doesn't make any sense."

"Deal with it, because I'm going to. It's called hospitality, and maybe that's a concept you don't understand, but I certainly do. Like it or not, you're my guest and I'm going to get you breakfast. Don't fight me on this."

A little annoyed, he took one last drag before tossing the cigarette over the railing, watching it fall several floors down onto the cement. Across the street he could see people scrambling around, but no one looked up at him. That was probably a good thing too, because he was still half naked without a shirt on.

"I don't want to cook anyways. Call me lazy…"

He wondered if Kaiba had never been a guest before. Hell, has anyone ever had him over as a guest outside of business? Probably not. The man came off like he lived under a rock, and smirking to himself, Jonouchi headed back into the apartment to fix the place up before getting into the shower.

"Just please do me a favor and not get all awkward now."

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I've never been socially apt. If I 'get all awkward', assume it's unintentional," said Kaiba.

He felt ridiculous accepting an offer of paid food from someone who was far less fiscally privileged than he was. Jounouchi insisted, though, and he didn't want to insult him further by resisting.

They had something good happening. He wasn't sure what it was, or where it would go, but it was good so far. He wanted to preserve it.

"I have to go straight to work after breakfast," he noted, "Would you be willing to let me shower here?"

"Well yeah, I'm not going to just let you run around town stinking. I can smell myself right now, after roasting last night on that futon, so feel free to use the bathroom, I don't mind at all. There's towels in the closet that you can use."

The first thing Jonouchi wanted to do first for himself though, was make tea. He went into the kitchen and started boiling water in a kettle. It was really a habit of sorts for him, because coffee never appealed to his tastes. He liked the subtle flavors of herbs, and even though he couldn't afford the really good stuff, Jonouchi was perfectly happy with the cheaper knock off versions.

"I'll have tea ready soon, if you want any…"

And taking a seat on the counter, he waited for it all to finish. It would be far more polite to let Kaiba use the restroom first, in case all the hot water went out. He could deal with a cold shower, but he didn't think his more spoiled guest would handle it as well.

"But uh, go ahead and use the shower first. I'm in no hurry."

Tea? Kaiba hadn't actually sat down to have tea in…gods knew how long. He mulled over the idea of having tea with Jounouchi, eventually reaching the conclusion that he was breaking his schedule anyway and may as well.

"Tea sounds good. I'll take my shower."

His response may have come off as being a bit curt, but he was simply trying not to say anything wrong. As he retrieved a towel from the closet Jonouchi had mentioned, he decided he would take a short shower—no longer than five minutes. Normally, Kaiba preferred longer showers, staying under the water and relaxing as he came fully awake, but Jonouchi's apartment likely had limited hot water. It wouldn't be proper to use it all himself.

He entered the bathroom, figured out how to use the valves in the shower, and stripped away his boxer-briefs as he waited for the water to warm.

Jonouchi sat on the countertop of his kitchen for quite some time, staring at the kettle as he waited for the water to boil. He was really glad that Kaiba didn't make too much of a fuss over getting breakfast, since cooking just didn't appeal to him when his brain felt so fuzzy. Sure, he actually enjoyed cooking legitimately at times, but he liked being mentally prepared for it.

And right now he wasn't. Dealing with someone as well-off as Kaiba, he felt overwhelmingly inadequate to him and didn't want to put himself out there more than he had to. Although Jonouchi tried being polite, he didn't think what he had in the house would be enough. Going out would be expensive, but would at least leave some impression on his guest that he had his shit together and wasn't the laughing stock Kaiba once thought he was.

He could hear him in the shower, the apartment not sound proof at all. The water was running and cocking an eyebrow, he was surprised to find that Kaiba didn't take too long in there at all. Which was a good thing, because Jonouchi really only had thirty minutes of hot water in his heater.

"I guess he's not as spoiled as I thought he was."

When Kaiba had dried himself, he pulled his underwear back on and checked himself in the mirror. His hair needed to be smoothed down, as there were multiple strands straying in directions they shouldn't. He wished he had a brush with him, but he supposed his fingers would do. Looking at Jonouchi's tiny, relatively neat bathroom, he couldn't help but wonder what it was like to have a small place of one's own—no million and one rooms filled with decorative crap no one would use, no maids always around, no security guards and cameras and motion sensors…his own house was more akin to a museum than a home.

He sighed, realizing that he was letting his mind wander, and he carried his towel out of the bathroom with him. He was initially just looking for his clothes, but he saw Jonouchi sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for his water to boil and decided to say…something. It seemed more awkward to wander the place silently than it was to speak.

"Is there a place I can put my dirty towel, like a laundry hamper? I doubt you'll want to accidentally use this one."

"Just leave it on the floor, it's fine."

Turning his head slightly, Jonouchi ended up getting an eyeful more than what he was bargaining for. Sure, Kaiba was wearing clothes, but not much as the night before, and looking sharply away, he jumped off the counter and started working on his tea. He didn't need weird straying thoughts messing with his head, and after pouring two cups of breakfast tea, Jonouchi excused himself to the bathroom.

His bathroom was so small. Most Japanese apartments had barely anything in the way of space, but Jonouchi hated his with a passion. He was tall for an Asian man, and everything was built for people below 65cm in height. Cramming himself into the shower, he turned on the hot water and grumbled as he worked on shampooing his hair.

It was still ridiculously hot outside, and the steam of the bathroom just made it worse. After getting clean again, he rushed to open the door before feeling dirty and worked on finding some clothes in the drawers. He was too distracted to care that he was only wearing a towel wrapped around his waist, and going through his drawers, he couldn't find anything to wear.

Sometimes Jonouchi was like a girl, worrying over clothes...

"I can't believe it's still so fucking hot outside, I hate summer sometimes."

Kaiba was fully dressed when Jounouchi entered his line of vision wearing nothing but a towel, his hair still a little damp and his skin glistening in the light. He felt immediately jealous, seeing Jounouchi's muscle tone. No one who ate like that should be so cut! That was just downright unfair. It wasn't until he realized he was staring that he consciously averted his gaze. He didn't want Jounouchi to be upset by his attention.

He was still holding the towel. Surely, there must be _somewhere _Jounouchi gathered his dirty laundry. Otherwise, it would be scattered everywhere. He'd snooped around a little while Jounouchi was in the shower, but hadn't found so much as a small pile. Kaiba felt completely gross just dropping the towel on the floor, but he didn't want to annoy Jounouchi by asking again for a place to put it.

"Hey," he addressed, "What kind of tea are we having?"

"English breakfast tea… my mom used to make it all the time."

Jonouchi couldn't find anything suitable to wear. The game shop had no dress code since it was a rather casual store, but he didn't need to be wearing anything crazy either. Rummaging through his clothes, Jonouchi tried to look for some well fitting jeans and a fitting t-shirt, but all the colors just looked wrong to him. Finally, after sneering at his drawers for a good ten minutes, he chose dark jeans and a red shirt.

"There's a bakery close by here that we can go to for breakfast, unless you want something more Japanese. I don't really care, I could go for anything right now. I have the metabolism of a bird-" he said, while scrambling to get his underwear on without showing anything, "and I'll be hungry again by the time I get to work regardless."

There was no privacy in such a small room, and after an embarrassing few minutes of trying to get dressed, Jonouchi managed to get his clothes on and returned to the bathroom to take care of his clothes. Throwing the pile into his closet, he only returned back to Kaiba once again with the urge to smoke while enjoying his tea.

"Do you mind?"

Kaiba couldn't stop his eyebrows from shooting upward when Jounouchi asked the question, but he managed to quickly school his features.

"I don't mind. It's fine. As for food…"

He wasn't sure what he wanted to eat. His schedule was normally routine—coffee and toast in the morning, off to work, more coffee there sometime around noon, and then dinner at home. While the suggestion of going to a bakery was tempting, his thoughts shifted to what it might do to his waistline, and he reconsidered. Besides, he figured if he was going to break the norm, he may as well have some meat or fish.

"Is there somewhere we can get some protein?" He asked, "As nice as a bakery sounds, I don't think eating a bunch of empty calories and pastries will keep me going during the workday."

Jonouchi gave him the look of disapproval before shaking his head, taking out a single slim cigarette with one hand. He didn't know why Kaiba cared about counting calories, since he was so lean and skinny, but it wasn't his place to say anything. If the man wanted to be a complete girl and starve himself of wonderful food, then Jonouchi would just have to let him.

"Sure, we can do that. I know some other places near the game shop that have decent food, and are in walking distance."

Heading towards the balcony again, he leaned against the railing and lit his cigarette, looking out towards the bay. Looking behind him, he waited for Kaiba to join him before putting it to his mouth, taking a long inhale of smoke before letting it all back out. Grinning, he thought of an idea.

"Have you ever been to the fish market in town before?"

"The fish market?" Kaiba parroted, thankful that he was downwind of the smoke. He supposed it wasn't _that _bad, as long as he didn't have to smell it or get it in his clothes.

"I never really took the time to go before. If you're suggesting we do that, then I'm game."

Honestly, he wasn't sure what to expect. He'd been to market before, but it had been when he had at least one living parent. He'd been an intelligent child, but the fine details of the market had been unimportant, and therefore disregarded.

And now, of course, he was far too busy and important to do his own shopping. He ordered his groceries online and had them delivered from stores in town.

"I'm not talking about today, Kaiba, because I need to be at work in two hours. But maybe sometime if you're interested I'll take you there. You said you were socially awkward, so we're gonna work on that. By the end of this week, I'll have you so hooked up with different girls, even you won't be able to keep all their names straight in that big brain of yours."

Smirking, he tossed his cigarette and drank the rest of his tea before going back inside. It was still insanely muggy outside, and forgoing a jacket, he went through his kitchen one last time to put everything away before leaving for food. It was a habit he had to get himself into, since Jonouchi wasn't clean by nature. But not wanting to be anything like his father, he forced himself to become more hygienic.

"You really didn't have much in the way of friends, did you?" remarked Jonouchi, snorting in mild amusement, "I bet the only person you ever really had was your own brother."

Kaiba wasn't sure if he should be more offended that Jonouchi assumed he wanted women all over him, or hurt by the fact that he'd brought up his past history with 'friends'. They'd talked about that to a degree the night before, but at the time, he'd been too sleepy to care as much, and the darkness had produced suitable protection for his emotions.

"Firstly, Jonouchi, I've had women of all ages throwing themselves at me since I was fifteen. Men, too. I could get whomever I pleased by my reputation alone. Don't assume that I'm unattached against my will."

He realized he was being harsh, and part of him thought it unnecessary, so he took a breath before continuing in a more sobered voice:

"As for people I've had as companions…it's true that Mokuba is all I've had. He's been all I had ever since my—my parents passed. I suppose that I always operated under the assumption that we'd be joined at the hip forever, and I never gave much thought to needing anyone else's company. Then he grew older, and suddenly wanted his 'space', and I realized he would grow away from me eventually."

"Hmpf, even I could have told you that."

A little offended, Jonouchi didn't take Kaiba's outburst too lightly. He didn't like being told or corrected, and a bit sore about it, he didn't say anything while going down the stairs. Once outside, his facial expression lightened up slightly with the promise of food being nearby, but his glance towards Kaiba was still a bit… hostile.

"And you couldn't get whoever you wanted just because you're rich, Kaiba. It doesn't always work that way. Money isn't everything, and I know for a fact that even your spoiled ass can be rejected despite your bank account."

Huffing a little, he started walking quickly towards the streets. Thankfully for them both, it wasn't too crowded and there was no risk of getting lost. It made Jonouchi wonder why Kaiba was there in the first place (it wasn't exactly the nicest place in Domino), but not bothering to ask, he headed towards a place to eat.

Kaiba noticed that Jonouchi seemed annoyed with him, perhaps rightly, but it took him awhile to swallow his pride enough to address it. They'd already reached whatever restaurant Jonouchi had chosen by the time he spoke again.

"You make it sound like you're good with women," he noted, deciding that further debate over whether or not he could get tail was not a subject for the present. "I didn't realize you had any interest in dating."

At least they weren't discussing his relationship with Mokuba. He and his brother didn't hold contempt for each other, by any means. But he had yet to come to terms with the fact that Mokuba was growing into his own man. He may have been proud to see his brother growing up well, but realizing that he wasn't everything his brother needed (as he'd once hoped he was) was difficult.

"I don't have any interest, it's too fucking expensive. Sex ain't worth being broke, if you ask me."

He would have said more, but deciding that Kaiba probably wouldn't want to know his more, ehm, crude thoughts over it, he decidedly shut his mouth. Jonouchi was of the opinion that women really didn't have anything on them he couldn't replicate, either by masturbation or sex toys, and being un-shy about watching porn, it wasn't like he was starved.

But knowing how Kaiba was, he figured he was still a virgin. Probably didn't know anything about sex outside of what he was taught in biology, and it was better if he didn't say anything else about it in case it got even more tense than it already was. If it was Honda or Yugi, he would have kept going, but for once Jonouchi decided to hold his tongue.

"But if someone's willing to wine and dine me, I wouldn't mind dating at all. I'll be the first to admit it, I have no shame."

"I wouldn't say I have 'shame' so much as I…don't take sex and love lightly."

He'd taken an interest in trying to date sometime back, but had ultimately decided against it. After enough experience with people in a non-romantic context, he'd concluded that if he did have a soulmate out there, he'd probably never meet them. Until then, he'd wait. It wasn't as if there wasn't enough pornography in the world to entertain him. He wasn't a fantastic customer for porn, but he did use it as a supplement on occasion.

It did somewhat irk him that Jounouchi assumed he was sexually oblivious. He was a grown man with a fine education; furthermore, he was a man of science and technology. He acknowledged the chemical benefits of masturbation, and he wasn't much the type to be celibate and refuse himself release at the same time.

"I suppose casual sex is expensive. But I am more concerned with the time it takes to get to know someone and…fall in love with them. Time is its own expense."

"Hmm. Never took you of all people as a romantic."

And snickering a little, Jonouchi grabbed a table at the open air eatery he found, staring at the cooking pit on top of their table. They'd have to wait for a server to come, but it was one of those uniquely Japanese places that had what Kaiba wanted. Protein of all types, cooked over an open flame that the customers could control themselves.

"I mean I tried going that route before but… it didn't exactly work out. So now I really don't see the point in bothering, trying to be some white knight for a woman who won't ever appreciate you regardless of how well you treat her. Fuck that."

"Everyone throws their pearls to swine at one time or another," Kaiba felt compelled to reassure Jonouchi, perhaps because of his own notions of romantic love. Honestly, what hope was there for _him_ if an optimist like Jonouchi couldn't tolerate a relationship that went sour?

"Maybe I'm something of a romantic. Don't get me wrong—I'm probably just as obsessed with sex and sexuality as the next person. But if I shared something that glorious with a partner, I'd want it to mean _more."_

He felt suddenly foolish, and sensed that he was on the verge of going on a tirade on the subject. He didn't want to bore Jonouchi (or worse, give him cause to ridicule him), so he stopped himself short.

"I wouldn't give up because of one failure. The person for you must be out there somewhere. You should keep your eyes open for them."

He decided not to mention the little thought nagging at him—that it didn't have to be a woman. He didn't want to come off as being suggestive, rather than informative as he intended to be. No, mentioning that would be just asking for trouble. Jonouchi didn't seem to give that sort of thing any consideration at all, and far be it from Kaiba to give him a sexuality crisis.

"Keep my eyes open, huh? Maybe when I got a better job or something. Like I said, dating is too expensive. I can't afford that sort of thing right now, with food being as expensive as it is," whined Jonouchi, despite buying their breakfast, "and it's a bad distraction from what I want. Heh. When I go to the states, I'll go lady hunting again and get myself a green card."

He was only kinda joking. It seemed like a foolproof idea, although not very honest. Jonouchi still wasn't always the most respectable person out there and liked to cheat if he could get away with it, and not quite over Mai and the bad falling out they had, he didn't care about women too much anymore. Mai was really too much for him to handle, and sour over the bad turn, he returned to acting out.

"But if you want to find that special someone, I guess that's great for you. Don't know how you're going to avoid women just trying to get into your pocket book though. Cause if I was a woman, damn… I'd be doing everything in my power to snag your ass."

He watched their server come with a display of different dishes, and choosing the cooked fish, his stomach growled in anticipation. Fresh meat was always the best, and being so near the ocean, he was excited to get some again.

"It helps that you're not awful on the eyes either. No one wants to fuck ugly."

Kaiba took fried octopus for himself, mildly amused at Jounouchi's semi-compliments.

"The reason I don't date is because of that very thing," he stated, "Because everyone just wants my money—or my body. I've trusted a good number of people, and been betrayed by just as many. I learned quickly that the more infamous I became, the more hesitant people were to take advantage of me. Everyone wanted _something-"_

He nibbled the food, reveling in the taste and texture of the warm octopus.

"-except, I suppose, you and your friends. Not that I was willing to take a chance on that, as you know. Now, though, I have _wisdom _to rely on rather than _reputation. _Maybe I've finally learned who to trust. Maybe I'll get hurt again. No matter what I do, I don't want to stay in this perpetual loneliness."

"So you've been with someone before?"

Now Jonouchi was interested, unable to hide his grin as he started picking apart his fish with his chopsticks. "I seriously thought you were a virgin, after your whole antisocial thing you had going on. Was I wrong?"

If so, a part of Jonouchi would feel pretty burned about it. He had never gone that far with anyone, outside of fooling around. There was some girls he touched and they had touched him, but it never went so far as to leading into sex. Not that it really bothered him, because he was perfectly happy loving himself, but the idea of Kaiba beating him to that.

Well, he'd never be able to live that down.

Kaiba wanted to lie and say he had. The fact was, though, that he hadn't shared himself with anyone that way—or even been so far as furtive contact. He couldn't have relations with a stranger without risking tabloid exposure, and anyone he dated might just be in it for the money.

"I haven't been with anyone," he admitted, feeling a little humiliated. Jonouchi certainly sounded as if he had plenty of experience. "I tried to start something with an ex-secretary once. It didn't get any further than a couple of dinner dates. She didn't like me as much as she thought she did. It was just…hero-worship, I suppose."

He sighed, munching his food to improve his mood again.

"So I've never had sex. I want to, but only when I can do it with someone who _matters_."

"You're not really missing out much," said Jonouchi between eating chunks of rice, not that he actually knew anything. Bitter over a chain of executively bad experiences (mainly from going after the wrong type of women), he decided that true love was dead. There was no special person out there for anyone, and maybe he'd end up with someone, but that wasn't too likely.

A younger Jonouchi would have said something completely different, but years and experience had caught up with him. It didn't help either that his own parents couldn't stay together, despite having been in love at one point. After Shizuka was born and the stresses of caring for an ill child took hold, the relationship fell apart and before Jonouchi knew it, he was thrown out to live alone with his alcoholic father.

He had a poor opinion of women.

"Are you sure?" Kaiba queried, his brow creasing slightly. He took a few bites of his own steamed rice before continuing.

"There must be something that compels humans to seek companionship and sex. And science has proven that another person can affect you in ways you never could yourself. When you lie against someone else, your heartbeats and breathing begin to match. Surely, it must mean _something."_

Or, perhaps his lack of experience made him naive about romance. Doubt was worming its way into his mind due to Jonouchi's words, and since Jonouchi was the one with more experience…he wasn't sure what to think.

"In Greek mythology, it was said that humans were born with four arms and legs, and two heads. Zeus feared their power and split them in two, cursing them to search eternally for their other half. Even since ancient times, people have sought a reason for the human fixation with love and sex."

"You are such a nerd."

Snorting, Jonouchi looked away before finishing his food, unsure of what to think of that. If what Kaiba said was true, he was fucked. Maybe he'd find someone out there for him, but being as dysfunctional as he was, he didn't think it would last. The blond was ignorant of how to keep things going, because getting a date was easy enough…

Keeping someone however, that's where the challenge came. He didn't have anything worth impressing them with anymore, his job was mediocre, and although he had a good heart, his history was always coming back to bite him in the ass. No one would be interested in a ex-street thug, and Jonouchi was pretty sure he was also ADHD. Although he kept his spazzy behavior under control while Kaiba was around, he couldn't stay still for the life of him.

His feet were constantly moving under the table.

"I guess you're right, if you look at it in that sort of context. With the right person, it can be meaningful and if it wasn't, no one would bother with relationships. But I don't see myself ever finding anyone who could put up with me, but maybe you'll have better luck with it."

"Because we both know what a charmer I am," Kaiba rolled his eyes, realizing he'd downed a good half of his meal just while Jounouchi was talking. He'd been hungrier than he thought.

"Honestly? I doubt my own faith in romance, from time to time. I've met so many users. The general rule with people who take interest in me is that they're attracted to my looks and reputation. If they stick around after they realize I'm not some idol, then they want my money."

Kaiba picked at his food, staring at the rice he had left as if it would provide answers or security.

"It doesn't matter. If I'm right, then I'll meet that person. If I'm wrong…"

He smirked, a touch of humor having entered his thoughts. He couldn't help himself; teasing came naturally to him. A side-effect of being a smart-ass, he supposed.

"If I'm wrong, at least that means you and I can still have our little dates."

He choked on his food after hearing that word, and narrowing his eyes, Jonouchi pointed his chow sticks at Kaiba rudely trying to think of something to say before letting the comment pass.

"This is not a date. And if this was, then that would make you the woman, so there."

Besides, they had only just run into each other the day before. Apparently Kaiba planned on seeing more of him, and it made Jonouchi wonder just how much more…

"Honestly though, I think you'll be fine."

Kaiba hummed, deciding not to argue his 'woman' status since he'd successfully irritated Jonouchi. He thought about work fleetingly, knowing he'd have to be going there soon. He thought about home, where he and Mokuba might talk over dinner, if his brother was in the mood to eat at the table. If not, he'd eat alone in his study and do work that isn't exactly necessary, but it would pass the time.

He'd been doing a lot more micromanaging since Mokuba hit puberty…

Hell, yesterday, he probably would have grabbed dinner and gone home to continue the cycle, had he not run into Jonouchi. Maybe they weren't getting along as swimmingly as they could, but at least it was a change. He tapped his chopsticks against the edge of his rice bowl.

"Er…I've been giving consideration to your idea to teach me how to be social, as it were. It doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"Teach you how to be social? What exactly do you mean by that?"

Now Jonouchi was just picking at his food as he looked at Kaiba skeptically. The whole thing sounded a little strange to him, teaching a person how to enjoy being in the companionship of others… Especially since Kaiba hated him openly for so many years.

Was this whole thing just some elaborate joke? Who knew. Only time could tell, but a part of Jonouchi knew that it wasn't right to just turn him away if Kaiba really was asking for help. It wouldn't be that bad having a friend of sorts, and maybe if he was willing to pay, that meant going to KaibaLand again or some other place he usually couldn't afford.

"When I said I wasn't socially apt, you said 'we'd work on that'," Kaiba reminded Jonouchi, lips turning downward slightly. He didn't want to explain this any more than he already had. It was hard enough for him to find a way to keep Jonouchi in his company without being too forward or making an ass of himself.

"If you meant that, and weren't just saying things, then I don't think it's a bad idea to take you up on the offer. You aren't terrible company, if we're not arguing, and I can see from the reactions I get from you that I could use some social advice."

Wanting to change his behavior wouldn't be enough if he alienated everyone he talked to. Hell, he still wasn't sure how he'd made it this far with Jonouchi. He just had to hope against hope that things would continue to improve.

"Oh right fine. I'll teach you how to play nice with others, if that's what you want. Just don't think I'm going to start paying every time we go out, because that is not happening. Or that I'll always feel like cooking for you."

Snorting, he dropped his chopsticks on his half eaten plate and crossed one leg over the other, still moving his foot subconsciously. He wasn't sure of what to make of Kaiba's proposal, or why he cared to change after so many years of being content at being an ass. Was he really that lonely that he needed Jonouchi for company?

"And the minute you call me a dog again, I'm walking out. Got it? Those are my conditions."

He needed mean to sound rough when it came out, but Jonouchi wasn't going to allow himself to be disrespected ever again by the other male if he could help it. Sure, he wanted to be friends, but that wariness wouldn't go away without a lot of change. Until he could actually trust Kaiba, he was going to keep him at a safe distance, like he did most people.

Kaiba tapped his chopsticks against the bottom of his bowl. It was his instinct to begrudge any form of regulation or restriction placed on him, but he forced himself to calm down. He was asking Jonouchi to go out of his way. Jonouchi didn't have to do this. He was being nice.

But self-importance was a tough habit to break…especially since memory dictated that he consider Jonouchi far inferior to himself.

"I don't expect you to feed me. I can pay for food on my own. Hell, I'll treat next time, if you want me to. Just…I'm considering this an opportunity. Maybe an unlikely one, but still one to be taken. You and I have never really got on, but I'm beginning to think that maybe it was because…well, was definitely because I was an ass.

"That said," he grumbled, looking sternly at the man across from him, "Don't think I've turned into a pushover. I wasn't that nice even when I was a child. I'm not going to transform into the happy-friendly type of person, like Yugi is."

He crossed his arms, ensuring he hadn't failed to mention anything he'd wanted to say.

"And…if I insult you, then I suppose it's fair if you ditch me. I wouldn't put up with it, either."

"Oh don't worry Kaiba, I don't want you going soft. Then you'd get all boring and we can't be having that happen."

Smirking, he was partly glad to see the old attitude coming back. Even if it was slightly unpleasant at times, it was something he'd grown used to and as long as no personal insults were targeted his mind, Jonouchi didn't mind. He was far comfortable dealing with the snark than what he saw the night before, especially since he didn't see Kaiba as anything but an adversary for many years. It was hard enough trying to picture him as a friend.

"I don't need you to act nice, because I know you're not. It's apart of your personality to be a jerk and I don't mind it, because I am one too. Just don't do what you did years before with that inferiority shit you pulled, because I'm not gonna deal with it. Just because you have money and fame doesn't mean you couldn't have ended up like me."

And done eating, he turned his gaze towards their server hoping for the bill. Sometimes moments just got to him, and still he was holding in a lot of resentment from over the years that wouldn't just disappear overnight. They'd have to go with time.

Hopefully Kaiba had the patience to wait for him to change his mind.

"Hmph. Good to know," Kaiba muttered, "From your behavior yesterday, I'd assumed I had to be extremely delicate."

Not that he couldn't go out of his way to be politically correct by Jonouchi's standards, but when it came to it, that would eventually drive him crazy. Maybe his colder behavior was learned over time, but he was born snarky and a little too perceptive for his own good, and he tended to think worse of people before he thought better.

That was simply the person he was when he was born. The insults, elitism, and superiority complex were a by-product of his upbringing, however. When he thought about it, his attitude had been ridiculous. _I managed to be the best through hard work and skill, so if you're in a bad way, you haven't got either._

He was an obnoxious teenager, to be sure, but he'd had the money and power to get away with it.

"I'm well aware how easily our positions could be different. If I hadn't won my chess game against Gozaburo, god knows where I'd be. Separated from Mokuba, most likely. Though when I think about it, he probably would have been adopted long before I would have been…if I ever would have been. No one who visited the orphanage ever took an interest in me."

"Probably because you were too busy kicking all the other kids in the sand box. Mokuba's just more easy going, from what I've noticed. He has his bratty moments like all boys do, but unlike you, he actually likes people. You don't even try to pretend to, that's your problem!"

He was saying it all in the lightest way possible, laughing at himself so Kaiba wouldn't take offense. Jonouchi wasn't quite sure how he'd take criticism, especially now that they weren't both about to pass out asleep from exhaust, but hopefully the other man had a sense of humor. Or could at least tolerate Jonouchi's.

"And I don't need you treating me like I'm some girl. I'm not gonna start crying because you don't play nice with others, nor have I ever in the past. Maybe you haven't noticed, but I'm tougher than I look and I don't find you so intimidating anymore."

Especially not after waking up next to the man. Watching Kaiba sleep the little he had killed just about all fear he still was harboring, and after getting over the shock of it all, it just ceased to affect him. Kaiba had turned into just another person, no longer the scary rival of years before, and finding his company not too bad when he wasn't trying to be an asshole, Jonouchi actually wanted to hang out with him.

"Not that you were ever _that_ intimidating to begin with."

"I didn't pick on other kids," Kaiba argued, indignant, "They came after me first, and Mokuba. It isn't my fault that I got blamed for everything."

That was a little bit of a sore spot with him. He'd been a tough kid, but it was still a crappy lesson to learn: the victim is always blamed. He softened a little, though, as he realized Jonouchi had been attempting light humor.

"I never was good at pretending I was friendly. Even as a kid, I never knew well enough to make puppy eyes at people until they felt compelled to adopt me. Instead, I challenged a grown man to a game in which he was an international champion."

He'd been one hell of a case, he admitted. Adults had overlooked him due to his 'violent tendencies' and the fact that his shrewd, intelligent eyes didn't suit the visitors' preference for children who are vulnerable and impressionable. To put it simply, he'd _intimidated _visitors-

"Hoy!" He protested, scowling at Jonouchi, "What do you mean, I was never 'that intimidating'? I'm sure there are millions of people who would disagree."

"Yeah well those millions of people must all be girls, because you're not as big and bad as you think you are. Hell, you're not even as strong as you were years before, can't even keep up with my chain smoking ass yesterday in the streets. Kinda pathetic, Kaiba. You're losing your touch."


	4. Chapter 4

Snickering, he wondered what would happen if they actually got into a fight again. Their bill sat on the table, and leaving some money behind, Jonouchi got up and continued laughing to himself, walking towards the bus stop that would take him to the game shop. The wait wouldn't be too long, but the ride lasted almost twenty minutes, which was pretty long when he was alone.

"I was a tough kid back in the day. Still am too. No one fucks with me without getting something back in return, and I don't take crap from anyone. Especially you," he pointed out as he fumbled with his cigarette box, "and I never will, no matter how nice you pretend to be."

Flickering the lighter, he grinned at Kaiba while lighting up, taking a long drag before letting it all out in his direction. Sure, he knew the smoke bothered Kaiba a lot, but he didn't care, and taking a seat on the bench near the bus sign, he waited for it to arrive. Hopefully Kaiba wouldn't mind the ride in joining him, since Kaiba Corp wasn't too far away with Yugi's house.

Kaiba grit his teeth, eyes widening, and it took all his willpower not to slap Jonouchi across the face. Now his clothes would smell like fucking cigarette smoke and it would require ridiculous effort to get it out.

"Jonouchi," he addressed sourly, "I won't bother you about smoking, but if you ever blow that shit in my face again, I will make you bleed. I don't care how much stronger than me you think you are. I may be less fit than I used to be, but I'm still strong enough to toss people twice my size."

He was being bitchy, and he knew it, but damn if that didn't just get under his skin. He had to say something. If he'd just let it go, it would have bothered him all day—festered until he did something truly rash the next time he so much as laid eyes on Jonouchi. Besides, it was better if they were going to have a spat before getting on the bus together than during the ride.

"Ha, if you say so Kaiba. Even if you could kick my ass, I'm just going to let you know now that I like fighting, regardless if I win or not. You might just blow more smoke in your face to see if you have the balls to do it, and if you did," he said sarcastically, unable to contain his amusement from the threat, "I might just end up enjoying it a little."

But he didn't. He had more sense in his head than to start something in public. Although Jonouchi wasn't a class act, he didn't like being chased down by the cops and it didn't help that he didn't look Japanese at all. They liked to target outsiders, and having had too many run ins with the po po, Jonouchi wouldn't take a chance outside.

However, he had no problem picking fights in the security of his own home. He wanted to know who between them was actually better than the other, Kaiba only having tossed him back in duelist kingdom because he got the blond by surprise. If he had been ready, oh… that little duel could have turned into something else.

Kaiba smirked, feeling a strange sort of excitement at Jonouchi's defiance. He could probably get away with fighting him here on the street, easily. But he didn't really want Jonouchi shot or arrested. Hell, regardless of the outcome of any fight they may have, one or both of them would likely want a rematch. So no, Jonouchi being in jail or dead was not a good option.

That said, there was a slight possibility that Jonouchi could actually take him down. He was quite slender, and despite the fact that his muscles were well-kept, he didn't exercise nearly as hard as he used to. What used to be a thrice-weekly body sculpting schedule had become running sessions. He knew he was still strong. But he knew Jonouchi was strong too, and if his muscles were any indication of how powerful he was…

He took a seat beside the other man, crossing his legs. No, he wouldn't fight Jonouchi now. But maybe someday soon.

"I'm not looking for a fistfight with you, Jonouchi," Kaiba grumbled, "But I don't want that reeking poison on my skin, hair, or clothes. Kill yourself if you want to, but keep that shit away from me."

"Fine, be a girl about it."

Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi took one more inhale before letting it out in front of him, his eyes still on Kaiba as he did so. Although he didn't exhale right in the man's face like before, he didn't try to keep it away much either. The man was an asshole, and too rough for his own good, he liked looking for trouble. Even trouble he wasn't sure he could handle.

"You're as bad as Anzu was about my smoking. Jeez, she could be such a drag about it at times…"

And throwing the cigarette to the ground, he stomped it out with his expensive sneaker before sighing. Putting his arms on his knees, he dropped his head into his hands and just stared out at the street, hoping for the bus to come. He couldn't believe that he spent some twelve hours with the man he once hated, and now that the realization was coming to him that maybe Kaiba wasn't half bad, well… Jonouchi wasn't entirely sure on how to accept that.

Kaiba scowled a little at Jonouchi's brash behavior. He knew he was picking a fight, one which Kaiba was tempted to oblige, but he contained himself. He'd sat upwind of the smoke, so fortunately, Jonouchi's lack of attention to keeping it away from his face had been futile.

"And what exactly do you mean when you say I'm being 'a girl' about it? I can't tell if you're being a sexist, or if you're saying only women encourage healthy behavior. Either way, you sound completely ignorant. I know you're smarter than that."

He stared at the ashes and dying embers wrapped in paper that were once Jonouchi's cigarette. He disapproved of just tossing it on the street like that, but more out of neatness than environmentalism. He was arrogant, but not arrogant enough to think humans were capable of destroying the earth. If she'd managed to evolve spores to biodegrade plastic, then humans stood no chance against her.

"When is the bus coming?" Kaiba asked impatiently, realizing the time and not wishing to be late for work. "It's almost nine-thirty as it is. The bus should arrive before ten, right?"

"You bitch like a girl, that's what I'm saying."

Honestly Jonouchi didn't care about sounding sexist or not. As far as he was concerned, there were no women around them and he was free to spew out whatever he wanted to whomever. If Kaiba thought he could shame him into being politically correct, well, he had another thing coming to him, because Jonouchi didn't change for anyone.

"And it'll be here soon. If you're so worried about being late, why don't you just call your driver to pick you up? No one's obligating you to stay with me," snipped Jonouchi, giving his companion a narrow eyed look before returning his gaze back towards the street.

However Jonouchi figured Kaiba wanted to for some strange reason and he didn't object to it. Even if Kaiba was obnoxious and criticized his lack of culture, Jonouchi didn't want to be alone. He hated riding the bus by himself without headphones or something to talk at him, and if Kaiba just left him alone, it would leave him pretty lonely. Not that he'd say so, though.

"-I'm sure the bus will get here in no less than three minutes, Kaiba. It always comes on time."

Kaiba bristled a little at the accusation that he 'bitched like a girl'. He bitched entirely like a man! Just because Jonouchi wasn't as eloquent as he was didn't mean he was comparable to a woman.

Whatever. He decided to drop the argument for now; it was getting too touchy, and he wanted to ride the bus with Jonouchi. Sure, he could call his driver easily. But he liked the idea of sitting next to someone on a public transport rather than alone in the back of a limousine. Also, he would be at work until midnight, more than likely. A few more minutes in someone's company would be 'salve before the battle', as the saying went.

"It's always on time? That's interesting," he noted, "How far exactly are we from the Game Shop?"

"Twenty minutes away," he grumbled, looking away from Kaiba's gaze. He was still rather put off after the threat of being beaten up soaked in him a little. Usually he got all excited at the prospect of being physical with someone else… until he realized that Kaiba actually threatened to hit him.

And he didn't appreciate that too much, despite being slow to react.

"The public transportation here is reliable, which is more than I can say for your temper."

Kaiba noticed immediately that Jonouchi had become more hostile. Obviously, the argument was not to be dropped just yet.

"I'd hardly say I have a 'temper'," he sniffed, "I've agreed to be relatively civil and refrain from insulting you. I request that you don't blow smoke in my face. What part of that is unreasonable to you?"

"I hardly even got you with any," lied Jonouchi, curling his lip a little as he realized how immature he was really being. Yeah, it wasn't really right of him to be blowing smoke into other people's faces, but he typically didn't care. However, he didn't think Kaiba of all people would tolerate it, so grumbling, he got off the bench and folded his arms stubbornly.

"And here's the bus, like I said."

It arrived on time, stopping right in front of the sign. Thankfully most of the rush hour morning traffic was gone and there were plenty of seats. Paying the bus fare, Jonouchi grabbed a place up front so he could look out the window, as he usually did on those morning trips. This was always a best chance to admire the city, once they got out of the ghetto side of town.

Knowing Kaiba was sitting right next to him was uncomfortable at best still. Glancing at the other male's direction for a split second, he decided not to say anything out of spite and just turned his whole back to him before a conversation could start. When Jonouchi got angry, he usually carried a grudge, but never really lasted for too long.

For a while, the ride was silent and awkward. Jonouchi was obviously in a mood, and Kaiba wasn't sure what to say (or not say) to him to improve the situation. After staring at Jonouchi's back for a while, Kaiba tired of the silence and decided to say something regardless.

"What time will you be leaving work?"

It was an innocent enough question. In reality, he was trying to figure out Jonouchi's schedule for his own convenience, but it could qualify for small talk.

"Around six-thirty, most days. Seven on weekends. Depends on how busy we get, but usually Sugoroku lets me out early if it gets crazy. He doesn't have a life, although I don't really have much of one either."

Snorting, he didn't say much more after that. He wasn't clever enough to figure out what Kaiba was doing, just spilling out his schedule out of ignorance. If he'd known why he was being asked, Jonouchi probably would have started something out of it, just because he couldn't help but create a fight over everything but not this time. Kaiba got lucky that he was so oblivious.

However, he could feel the other man's eyes on him. Refusing to turn back to look Kaiba in the face, Jonouchi kept on the awkwardness. He had a sour expression on his face, like a kid who got reprimanded by his mother in public, and arms still folded, his whole body looked tense. And he was tense. Everything about his situation was challenging his acceptance of change.

"Can I come see you tonight, then?" Kaiba asked, realizing Jonouchi was in such a mood that he'd likely refuse, but all he could do was make the request. He wasn't sure what put the stick up Jonouchi's ass all of a sudden, but he was determined not to lose whatever game they were playing.

"If you have something else to do, that's fine. But I'll be free after work."

"Fine, if you want," replied Jonouchi curtly.

He was definitely in a mood. While intuition spoke against it, Kaiba thought it would be a lovely idea to don his trollface, regardless of what the consequences might be.

"You're acting shy, Jonouchi. If you're nervous about seeing me again, I understand. I assumed you were lying when you said you weren't intimidated by me, anyway."

He couldn't help but take the opportunity to be a little arrogant, especially if it got Jonouchi riled up, too. In the back of his mind, he knew that he mostly just wanted the other man to acknowledge him—ironic, seeing as only a few short years ago, Jonouchi was the one fighting for his attention.

"I am not being shy, you asshole. I'm pissed off, and if you seriously think I'm afraid of you, well, you have another thing coming to you. Kaiba, you don't scare me. Never have. Besides, I already said I'd see your miserable ass tonight, so stop pestering me about it."

He knew he was being baited, but it didn't stop him from getting even more upset. It was too easy for people to get under his skin. Being hot headed and despite having more maturity than he did years before, it wasn't hard for anyone to piss him off. Or get him into a sulky mood. Even if Jonouchi knew he was acting childish, his first nature was to act out and doing just that, he still refused to look Kaiba in the face.

Or knowledge his exist anymore than he had to.

"You agreed reluctantly. I'm not going to waste my valuable time showing up if you're just going to spend the entire evening staring in the opposite direction. What happened? Did you change your mind about me being easy on the eyes?"

Arguing with Jonouchi was still too easy. The other man was as fiery as he remembered, and he was relieved about that. He'd started to think Jonouchi had lost his direction, or his sense of purpose. It seemed he'd simply mellowed out a little.

He'd mellowed too, he supposed. There wasn't a single 'dog' or 'deadbeat' in his statements. Perhaps they were making progress. Or, maybe it was just a matter of time. There was no telling at this point.

"I don't see why you want me looking at you to begin with, Kaiba. But fine, I'd like to see you if you're going to get all sensitive about it. However, my time is just as valuable to me as yours, and I'm not going to waste my perfectly good friday night listening to your stupid mouth pick on me."

Jonouchi really didn't know what his purpose in life was yet, despite having a job. It wasn't his career and although he wasn't a dead beat, he still felt like one. His job at the game shop was enough to pay the bills, but he wanted something more. Something that would keep him from being like everyone else, and for the longest time that was dueling.

But that plan had failed. And after being thrown for a loop, he was still picking up the pieces, trying to figure it out for himself. It wasn't like he had friends to rely on for support, and after just about everyone split aways, he felt cornered up against a wall.

"Just for the record, you might be easy on the eyes, but not on the ears."

"The same could be said for you, Jonouchi," Kaiba retorted, "You may be a looker, but you're far more attractive with your mouth shut. I think some of our most enjoyable quality time happened last night when you were unconscious."

He was running along the border of being overly brutal, but Jonouchi wasn't delicate. He'd be offended—of course he would. That was his intention. But would he dash away crying? Hardly.

"And it wouldn't be so easy for my 'stupid mouth' to pick on you if you didn't make yourself such an easy target. Honestly, the way you're acting, I could probably get under your skin by slinging playground insults at you."

He wasn't sure how true that was, necessarily, but he'd find out. He was still learning how to gauge Jonouchi; he had to calibrate what constituted banter, and what would actually piss the man off. It would be a long process, but Kaiba was committing it all to memory.

Oh that did it for Jonouchi though. He didn't even know how to process that first part. The comments didn't hurt him in the slightest, but they did get him thinking. Did Kaiba awake up sometime the night before to stare at him sleeping? Or tried something that he wasn't aware of? It got him thinking that maybe there was more to his new friend than he first thought, and trying to ignore his discomfort with it, he stuck his nose in the air.

"I am not that insulted. Besides the fact, aren't you a bit too old for picking on people that aren't your size? You told me you weren't a bully as a child, but I'm pretty sure you lied about that. Admit it, you take pleasure in being a jerk. That's the only reason why I'm putting up with you now."

That, and Jonouchi was easily suckered into conflict. It was stupid, but he couldn't help it. That was partly why he got involved in his old high school gang, because the fighting interested him and he found it a great challenge. Only with Kaiba, it was a mental challenge, and he wasn't as good with mind games as he was with fists.

"That, and because you have no friends."

"I do enjoy being a jerk, yes," Kaiba agreed, smirking, "I learned over time that it's easy and it keeps morons off my back. Having enough people try to beat the shit out of me as a child taught me that I should always keep the upper hand."

Secretly, having been constantly harassed by other children (and having to defend Mokuba from the same) made him a bit sore. He sometimes wondered if those experiences caused some of his extreme distrust of others.

"You're easily manipulated by words, Jonouchi. I'd work on that if you intend to spend time with me."

"I'm not and I won't."

Crossing his leg, he readjusted himself on his seat and turned around just enough that the other man could see his face again. He didn't however look at him, keeping his eyes forward looking at the middle of the bus as he waited to reach his destination. It was no use trying to be a kid about Kaiba's bullying tactics, and maybe if he didn't react to them so badly, the other man would stop.

Maybe. Doubtful.

"Besides, I'm supposed to be teaching you how to play nice with others. That means you'll need to learn to curb your mouth. Just like everyone says Kaiba, if you don't have anything nice to say, just don't say anything at all."

Kaiba was silent for a good half minute, trying to decide if he'd lose ground by saying something rude, or by saying something 'nice'. If Jonouchi felt like being a smartass (and was apparently not getting riled up anytime soon), then he'd have to completely revise his strategy.

He rested his elbow on the back of the bus seat, and shifted so he was semi-facing Jonouchi rather than the front of the bus. It occurred to him that Jonouchi probably wouldn't know what to do with himself if he said something nice, and the possibility that he'd get a reaction of shock or some form of discomfort was too much to pass up.

"Jonouchi," he addressed, forcing the corners of his mouth to stretch into an expression that wasn't quite friendly enough to be a smile, "You're looking so handsome today. And your hair is so nice—your roots are barely even showing."

Was he making a pass? Jonouchi gave Kaiba a rather surprised without actually turning his head, like a spooked animal. His eyes were big and growing incredibly uncomfortable with the slight prospect of his once most hateful adversary maybe being gay… hell, finding him in particular being sexually attractive, just made his skin crawl.

"I really hope you're just bullshitting me."

Besides, the vain part of him knew that his roots couldn't be showing, because he had worked on them recently. He wasn't a fake blond, but Jonouchi was a dirty one and he often lightened up his hair color for vanity's sake. It was his goal to never look like a slob, and that meant sometimes getting his hair treated even if it was a bit girly to do it.

"And get out of my face. Ever heard of personal space? Jezz…"

He moved in his seat slightly away from his companion.

Internally celebrating the small victory of exploiting Jonouchi's somewhat homophobic perspective, Kaiba sat properly in his seat again and smirked. Obviously, there was still a full-proof way for him to get under Jonouchi's skin. In the West, they called the practice 'Gay Chicken'.

That thought made him wonder how far he'd be willing to go, though. He didn't really want to reach the point of using physical contact to disrupt Jounouchi's equilibrium. It seemed less like teasing and more like…molestation. He wasn't one for that kind of thing.

"I sometimes wonder how you manage to be fully functional," Kaiba mused, still a bit smug, "With all your prejudices, and lack of unlimited disposable income to get you off the hook, it's surprising that you made it this far without getting a wake-up call."

"What prejudices?" asked Jonouchi, still unwilling to turn his face towards the other man, "I don't have a problem with gays, as long as they leave me alone. Frankly, I'm not interested. Not even sure if I'd be flattered."

He couldn't really help it either. His father disapproved of it, and even though Jonouchi hated the old man, he still desired acceptance. The man couldn't hate him if he liked only girls, and never having any desires outside of tits and vagina, it wasn't even on Jonouchi's radar to be with another man.

But apparently it was on Kaiba's. It made him wonder what exactly was going through the brunet's head, but he didn't say anything. That would make for a very awkward conversation, and since he did plan on seeing him later that night, well… Some things were better not said or asked. He didn't need that sort of complication in his life.

"Besides, the only person I need to look good for is myself."

"I'm not sure if that statement is self-empowering, or just extremely lonely," Kaiba muttered, crossing his arms. Jonouchi seemed to have a slightly skewed perspective of what it meant to be homophobic. Certainly, if the idea made him that uncomfortable, there must be some deep-seated reason for it. But it didn't seem appropriate to ask, and Kaiba figured that psycho-analyzing Jounouchi (however interesting it may be) would just piss him off.

"What do you want to do later? I don't have much experience with entertaining company, and most anything 'fun' would cost money, anyway. Will we just go to your place, or what?"

"Go to my place and here the neighbors go at it again? No. I treated you as a guest, so it's only fair that you do the same. Especially since you're the one asking for my company."

He wondered what Kaiba's house was like. How big was it, and if it was really full of servants or not. There could only be two people living there, so it didn't need a huge staff, but who knew. Maybe Kaiba found comfort being surrounded by people he could boss around, and knowing how lonely he was, there could be some truth to that. However, he didn't say anything about it.

Jonouchi's own place also just made him feel very inadequate. He didn't like having someone who had everything over in a place that had nothing. It was depressing and embarrassing, to the degree that Jonouchi hoped he'd never have to have Kaiba over there again. Sleeping on the futon was almost like sleeping on the floor, and it made him feel so poor…

"We could even be sleepover buddies again," snickered Jonouchi, as he rolled his eyes, "since it's the weekend and I'm not working tomorrow."

He was only slightly serious.

"My house?" Kaiba quirked an eyebrow. He couldn't help but feel uncomfortable taking Jonouchi there. It felt like showing off, somehow, but in the worst possible context. Jonouchi's place hadn't been high-end or anything, but it had been comfortable enough. His house was like a museum. Almost nothing was okay to touch, everything was very expensive, and for most of the day, there were servants all over the place.

That said, he did like the idea of not being interrupted by Jonouchi's randy neighbors. And there was logic in taking turns hosting, he supposed.

"If you're sure you won't start having some kind of inferiority complex when I take you there, then it won't be a problem. But you're sleeping in a guest room."

"I don't have an inferiority complex, Kaiba. And trust me, I wouldn't want our bedroom arrangements any other way."

He wasn't being serious about his earlier joke, but apparently the other man didn't get it. Whatever. Shrugging his shoulders, he noticed the bus finally stopping at his street, which was only one block away from the game shop. Getting up, he looked back at Kaiba one last time before heading towards the exit.

There were far more people out in this side of town. Mostly teenagers from the nearby high school, but there were also some people his age running around with the newest duel disks, looking somewhat strange to Jonouchi after so many years of doing the same thing.

"So what exactly do you want to do there?" he asked Kaiba, glancing back at him.

Kaiba shrugged.

"We could do something we've never done before, I suppose," he mused, more thinking out loud than anything. Then he realized how ambiguous his statement was.

"Playing War was…interesting. We could have a rematch, or play another card game like Gin Rummy or Poker. But I have many interests, and facilities for their benefit all over Kaiba Mansion. We could have a LAN, play online games—League of Legends, Starcraft II, Knights of the Old Republic. I also have a home theater if you're interested in films."

He was making his house sound more like an entertainment center than a place to live. In some ways, it was. Honestly, all he was missing was laser tag.

"I have a full library, as well, if you wanted to just sit quietly and read, but we wouldn't be doing much interacting."

"You're even more of a nerd than I originally thought you were…" mused Jonouchi, rolling his eyes as he headed towards the Game shop. It was coming into view and there were already a few people inside, the store's actual owner often opening and closing since he didn't mind getting up so early.

"If we play anything, you'll have the unfair advantage of being able to beat me from practice alone. I'm not going to set myself up for failure. Let's just have another duel."

It seemed far more fair to Jonouchi, playing something he was very familiar with. At least if Kaiba beat him at that, it would have been an equal chance across the board and the blond wouldn't argue against it. He could lose gracefully, as long as there wasn't any unfair advantages.

"If we played a game that was new to you, I'd play on your team, Jonouchi," Kaiba grumbled, offended that Jonouchi had assumed he'd play against him with such an unfair advantage, but not really able to blame him—he hadn't exactly been the most accommodating person in the past.

"But if you really want to play me at Duel Monsters, then so be it. We can go out on the grounds where there's space for the holograms to be used to their full potential."

He blinked, staring at the Game Shop momentarily. He had a bit of a walk from here to the Kaiba Corporation building, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Well, he hoped not. It was hot outside, and he was wearing long clothing. He shook his head. He would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"And you say 'nerd' as if I should be insulted," he sniffed, his demeanor one of mild superiority, "Being well-rounded in my gaming career and capable of conquering more activities than Duel Monsters is hardly something I find shameful."

"Then you shouldn't sound so damn offended by my comment," snickered Jonouchi, "and I want to play duel monsters the old way. No holograms. Think you could handle that?" he teased.

Well, he knew Kaiba could, but he also knew how much the man loved technology. It would probably bother him playing the old fashion way, but it seemed like less of a hassle to Jonouchi than having to find some holographic system that would only made the game more intense. He didn't need all the special effects to have fun.

He was also really curious about the house. What all did Kaiba keep in there? A long time ago he even went as far as to think the brunet kept dead bodies there locked up, but maturity and common sense know told him something differently. It would be interesting to see, in the very least, and he wondered what kind of books Kaiba read. Not that Jonouchi was a big reader himself, but he wanted to see it.

Kaiba hummed. Somewhere inside him, he'd hoped he could keep Jonouchi outside the house for most of the evening. Aside from his discomfort with how ridiculously huge and decorated his home was, he also felt a little…invaded. His private rooms, the ones in which he and Jonouchi would likely be spending time, were places where only he and Mokuba were allowed. Security was confined to the hallways, there were no cameras in the rooms (though there were still motion sensors), and even the cleaning crew was banned from the areas.

One of the rooms, his study, was always locked. It was where he did his brainstorming—free-writing to come up with came concepts and story, discovering ways to advance his technology, and sometimes drawing concept art. It was all very personal and private to him; his ideas at their base level, raw and unprepared for presentation. He wasn't sure how he felt about Jonouchi being in there especially.

The other rooms, he could tolerate. The theater and gaming areas were much less selfishly guarded by him. The maids were assigned to clean there once a week. Yes, if they played their duel in one of those rooms, he could tolerate it.

"As you wish," he agreed after some silence. It had taken him a good amount of time to think it over. "We'll play tabletop, inside the house. I have a table in one of the game rooms specifically for it. The dueling fields are marked and bordered so your cards will stay in place."

The blond had been reading Kaiba's face the entire time. He could tell just how uncomfortable the man was with the prospect of being at his house, and Jonouchi, not wanting to feel like an invader, was beginning to lose interest. They could go somewhere else, since Domino was a big city and there were plenty of things to do. Besides that, it would be less awkward being trapped with the name in his own castle so to speak.

"You know what, forget that first idea. I'll take you out to the festival their having downtown tonight instead. It'll be fun, if you keep an open mind about it."

There would be a lot of strange food, people, rides at the carnival, and other things Jonouchi liked. Mostly he wanted to see if they had a fun house this year again, because the maze of mirrors was one of his favorite things to do. Although he often got lost in it for hours…

They also sometimes had roller coasters, which Jonouchi adored. Nothing felt more amazing that trying to keep the urge to puke down, and grinning at the thought, he hoped maybe Kaiba would change his mind. His house could wait for another time. It was obvious that the man felt uncomfortable about it, and frankly, he didn't feel like being a guest in someone else's home.

Especially not Kaiba's.

Kaiba felt simultaneously relieved and guilty. He wasn't a very good host to begin with, but if he was also acting neurotic as he attempted to keep Jonouchi out of his most treasured space, then he'd probably just alienate his new companion. That said, he didn't want to make Jonouchi feel unwanted.

"The festival sounds good. I haven't been to one since I was very young."

He paused, trying to organize what he wanted to say.

"It isn't that I don't want to have you over," he explained quietly, "I just realized that I'm very picky about where I let people go in my house, and I don't want to insult you. If you're interested in going there another time, don't be afraid to ask."

That had been hard to say. He was unused to being compelled to explain himself, rather than just throw his weight around and watch people scurry to do his bidding.

"You don't need to explain yourself. It's your house, your rules."

The store was right in front of them, Jonouchi spotting a few teenagers inside. That meant he'd need to go straight into work mode as soon as he walked in, because Sugoroku did not appreciate window shoppers. He expected everyone who walked in to walk out with something they purchased.

"When will you be done with work tonight anyways?" asked Jonouchi, "because if you don't mind picking me up, I can wait here until whenever."

It was better than Kaiba getting lost near Jonouchi's neighborhood again. That wasn't a good idea, with all the delinquents who liked to frequent there. Sure, Kaiba could take care of himself, but still. If it could be avoided, because people did not need to know who the blond was now friends with, than Jonouchi would. There were already people following him around when he walked home, and he was very well aware of that.

"I usually get off at twelve thirty AM. I suppose I can leave earlier. I tend to work longer than necessary, and you'd have to wait at least five hours," answered Kaiba.

He knew that he usually made work for himself. Back when he was establishing KC US, it had been necessary to work so long. Now, however, most of his 'extra work' was just micromanaging.

"I probably need to stop working for so long, anyway."

"When do you have time to sleep?" mumbled Jonouchi, crossing his arms and feeling a mix of amusement and sadness for Kaiba's situation. He imagined that the CEO did this to himself, because he never heard of anyone working that late usually no matter what their position was in a company. Most people got off at eight the latest, and he clearly remembered a time when his new friend was running around long before midnight hours.

"Meet me here at seven, if you can. If you can't, well, call the store's number and let me now. We can rearrange our plans if something happens, okay? I'll see you later, Kaiba."

And turning around to head into the store, Jonouchi shook his head as he wondered to himself what he was doing. Why was he being so nice to someone who used to treat him so poorly? Why was he giving that man a chance? He guessed that some part of him knew how Kaiba was feeling, being so lonely, and that everyone needed a chance at times. Hell, Yugi gave him one.

He glanced back and waved before disappearing into the store. Jonouchi had a long day ahead of him.


	5. Chapter 5

Kaiba was determined to meet Jonouchi at precisely seven PM, if not earlier, so he left work far sooner than usual. His secretary was surprised to be let off an hour early, but she certainly didn't complain…

He saw the Game Shop now, and was glad that the evening was slightly cooler than what it had been. Kaiba was right in assuming the heat might be too much for him while he wore the clothes he had been. He didn't warm easily, but that had been excessive even by his standards. So, tonight, he was wearing less heavy dark jeans and a thin button-up with the sleeves rolled up. He was wearing a close-fitting undershirt to protect his nice clothes from any sweating he might do, but right now, he was at perfect temperature. Things would have to heat up exponentially to make him uncomfortable.

He found that he was quickening pace toward the shop. He'd admittedly felt a little lonely and abandoned when Jonouchi had left his company, but once he'd started the walk to work, the feeling had been quickly forgotten. He supposed it was a normal response to saying goodbye to one's companion, but the unfamiliarity still made him feel self-conscious. He didn't want to appear needy by any means.

He reached the Game Shop door, and, not knowing if it would be appropriate to walk inside and wait, he stood under the nearby streetlight to wait.

Jonouchi was sitting against the glass counter of the store, bored out of his mind. He didn't have a very interesting day, and despite matching his daily quota in sales, it didn't do anything to lift his spirits. Work was boring to him. Slightly ADHD and very active, he found little enjoyment in being trapped in a store for several hours when he preferred being outdoors.

So when he spotted Kaiba's figure outside, it made him grin. Now he knew he was going to be saved from his misery, and after closing the store and setting the alarm, he nearly ran out of the place to be greeted.

"I didn't think you'd be here on time," he said, Jonouchi's own way of giving a greeting, "and you know you could have come inside if you wanted to."

Maybe he felt wrong being there. Yugi's grandmother was not a huge fan of Kaiba, for good reason, but he wouldn't kick a potential customer out of his store. Besides, the old man was up in his bedroom sleeping, his heart condition getting the best of him. It was one of the reasons why Jonouchi worked for him.

"I have a high sense of urgency when keeping appointments are involved," Kaiba stated, "And I stayed out here because I…didn't feel right coming inside. Not after what I did the last time I was here. I didn't want to insult Oji-san further."

That was most of his reasoning. What he'd left out was the fact that he wasn't quite sure what he'd have done if he'd walked in before Jonouchi's time to clock out. Would he just stand around staring at him? Would they chat? And if Sugoroku had been out on the floor, would it have just been awkward or generally bad? He had no intention of buying anything either, so that would have made things worse.

"I considered it worth the effort to be on time. Work right now is mostly forms and conferences. I have set dates to attend conventions, and I'm managing projects that are in production, but most of those teams leave at five. On top of that, I do all my actual creative work at home by myself. There was no reason to stay late."

He was thinking out loud, honestly, but he'd just wanted something to say. In a regular situation, he would have just nodded to Jonouchi when he'd appeared and asked if they were going to the festival, at which point he would have said nothing else until a question was directly posed.

But this situation was different, because he was trying to be a friend. Friends cared about more than driving toward a goal, right? Friendship was emotional, not objective. So far as he knew, anyway. He supposed he'd find out for sure soon enough.

"Huh. Okay."

Most of what Kaiba said just went way over Jonouchi's head. He knew nothing about business, nor did he care to, but not wanting to offend Kaiba in any way, he didn't say anything. Instead he just gave an easy going smile and leaned against the lamp post, trying to take out his pack of cigarettes.

"Do you actually enjoy your job," he asked, while fiddling with the lighter.

Some people didn't. Jou couldn't imagine liking being a CEO, having to do all that paper work, working over business conferences, and all the other shit that it involved. It wasn't his forte, enjoying a far easier lifestyle than the cut throat world of stock markets and shareholders.

That was one of the reasons why he wanted to be a professional duelist. As a kid, he even wanted to be one of those popular baseball players he saw all over the city, but his playing scores were never quite good enough. It didn't help also when he broke his arm in junior high (something he never liked talking about), so it couldn't be helped.

There was even a short while when he thought about being a mechanic, but it didn't last. It was his father's last job, and although Jou loved putting things together, like model car kits, it was too painful now that things had gone bad. But he wouldn't talk about it with anyone, and putting the cigarette to his lips, he pushed the lingering thoughts to the back of his mind.

Kaiba opened and shut his mouth several times, thinking. He'd put a modicum of thought into whether he enjoyed his position, but he'd quickly brushed it to the back of his mind. Jonouchi needed an answer, however.

"Sometimes it's my dream job," he began, "I create games for people of all ages, but mostly for children. I run the world's most diverse theme park, and it's accessible to underprivileged kids. I run my own charity.

But there's so much bullshit between points A and B," he grumbled, "Everything I do is viewed in the most negative light possible. Many of my current shareholders were around in Gozaburo's time, and firmly believe that I should revert to weapons development. I disagree. And all the responsibility gets to me, sometimes. And the lack of privacy."

He leaned on one hip, crossing his arms and sighing. He felt like he was bitching when he had no right to do so. His job was difficult, but it was highly profitable. It seemed wrong to complain, especially in front of Jonouchi, whose concerns included affording a place to live.

"It's an uphill struggle, I admit. But at the end of the day, I'm working toward my own goals, and I'm getting paid for it. It's about the best I can ask for."

"I honestly wouldn't want your job," replied Jonouchi, "My brain would implode and I couldn't handle that much responsibility. No fucking thanks, Kaiba, I don't envy you."

He took a long drag from his cigarette before expelling it out, this time more careful about not getting his companion with the smoke. Turning his head sideways, he blew it all out before taking another inhale, thinking about what exactly he wanted to say so it wouldn't come off as offensive.

"But it's good that you enjoy it, because no job is perfect. I mean, you get to do your own thing every day, and even if those old guys don't like what you did to the company, fuck them. You're still the boss, and they can't really do anything about it since Kaiba Corp is still doing so well."

He vaguely remembered the old Kaiba Corp, the memory extremely hazy. Not many people lived in Domino back then, the tourists not having any KaibaLand to attract them over from Tokyo and overseas. The city was much more industrial and ugly, but since the transformation, the mayor had made an effort to clean things up.

This was great for Jonouchi, despite the high crime in his area. They were at least making an effort to stop the gangs and keep violence out of the main sections of Domino, and it was his hope that one day he could afford to live outside of the old neighborhood. Or just move out of Japan all together. California looked so inviting, and grinning to himself while flicking his cigarette, he mused over it shortly again before turning his attention back at Kaiba.

"Not that I'd expect it not to."

"It's true that the old extremists can't do too much to me at present," Kaiba agreed, but his tone was cautious. "The moment I slip up, though…the shitstorm will be unbelievable. Even back when I founded KC US, and I was blamed for the monsters appearing everywhere, the moment I was accused and the stocks took a dive, they were all on my back threatening to drop their support."

He hated remembering that time. He'd lost his company entirely in the end, and had to win it back through murder, essentially. And even after it was proven that Paradias had caused the monster issue, the western press had spent months 'speculating' that he was involved somehow. It would have been worse, if he hadn't held the Grand Prix.

"There's also the press sensationalizing everything controversial I do, and claiming that anything charitable is for 'publicity'. I'd prefer to be left alone in my own corner of the world, to be honest, but I'd lose my mind if I couldn't do…something."

Not to mention, he couldn't bring his ideas to fruition as a hermit. Maybe he had to deal with red tape out the ass, but at the end of the day, he had the resources and authority to do the job he wanted. If only he had less opposition…

"I definitely understand that, Kaiba. You don't seem like the type who'd want to sit in the background and watch things happen, even if you dislike politics. There's a reason why people still like you, even if you don't see it."

Jonouchi sure did. Although the press was very hard on Kaiba Corp, most people liked the company. They liked having the hospital that was far better in medical treatment than the government run one. Most people liked seeing the poor kids having a chance to go have fun and not lingering around the streets, begging like they did in other cities. All in all, Kaiba Corp was very good for Domino.

"We should get going, before the festival gets too packed full of people. We'll need to go buy tickets and those lines can take for fucking ever."

So dropping his cigarette and smashing it with his sneaker, he looked around for a car, hoping Kaiba drove there. He didn't think the man would honestly take a limo to the game shop, which felt like over kill, but maybe he had some nice sports car or something. Jonouchi loved cars, and glancing around, he almost felt too embarrassed to ask.

"You brought a ride, didn't you?"

But not enough to not open his mouth.

"Uh…" Kaiba felt slightly embarrassed. He'd walked because he'd come straight from work. There hadn't been time to go home, and the change of clothes he was wearing had been stored in his office in case it was needed. To have Isono pick him up, drive him home, and then get in his car and drive to see Jonouchi had seemed asinine.

Not that he didn't want to bring his car. He'd planned on the silver Hyundai Genesis, one of his favorite vehicles. But he didn't want to waste time or come off as a douchebag.

"I didn't bring my car," he replied, "I walked here. I assumed we'd be walking to the festival, not driving. If you want, I'll have one of my cars brought here."

"Well, the festival's kinda downtown, but we can take a bus. No big deal, I just thought someone like you wouldn't care to take public transportation all over. Oh well."

Shrugging his shoulders, Jonouchi started walking towards the bus stop, where it would take them all the way downtown. He wasn't bothered at all by not being driven there, but he sincerely thought someone like Kaiba wouldn't want to be hassled by doing that. Jou himself wished he had a car, but they were too expensive.

Besides, he didn't' actually need one. Japanese public transportation was great when it wasn't rush hour, and since he never got up early anyways, it wasn't a huge deal. But after being in California, the idea of just driving to drive felt so appealing.

"So… I have no idea what to talk about right now."

Kaiba didn't either. He didn't know what he could say that would interest Jonouchi. They obviously weren't into all the same games, for the most part, his work day was boring as hell (and irritating, so if he talked about it he'd probably just bitch), and he wasn't sure he wanted to discuss something personal.

"Well," he cleared his throat, forcing himself to speak more confidently. Doing something he wasn't used to made him compelled to stay silent until he'd gauged the situation, but that wasn't appropriate right now.

"I'm working on a new game. I don't know if you'd be interested in hearing about that, but…it's something to talk about, I suppose."

"Go ahead, I'm all ears."

He could be a good listener, when he wanted to be. Taking a seat on a bench, Jonouchi made enough space for Kaiba to join him, crossing his leg before taking out his lighter. For whatever reason he couldn't stop himself from messing with the top, flicking it on and off. The desire to move /something/ was getting at him.

Kaiba observed Jonouchi flipping his lighter, tapping his foot; he wondered if he had ADD, or possible ADHD, but it didn't matter enough for him to have to ask. He sat beside Jonouchi and organized how he'd present his game concept. It was still in very early dev stages, meaning fresh off his brain and just recently dropped on the actual team that was responsible for organizing all his ideas into a product.

"It's a third-person RPG. The character the gamer plays is a woman named Cyte. The plot isn't fully fleshed out, but essentially, she's a mage-type. Rather than simply wielding magic, she uses a combination of combat moves and element-based attacks.

She also has the ability to use 'voice', in that she can affect a battle by shouting certain words. She can power up her voice by going through the different towns in the game and helping people through persuasion, compromise, and intimidation. Which method she chooses has an effect on the fate of the in-game world as well as her reputation."

It sounded positively stupid to him, when he tried to explain it in summary. He hadn't really told anyone about it aside from the dev crew, and they weren't paid to critique him

"So this is going to be a game? Did you ever think about doing it with that virtual world thing again? I mean, that was a good idea, even if the system got hacked… twice. I'd be willing to try it again."

Ever since experiencing it, Jonouchi had been dying to try it again. Something about doing whatever he wanted in an ever changing environment that worked by its own unique set of rules interested him. He wasn't limited by anything in the virtual world, and even if the last two times he went there weren't under the best of situations, it still intrigued him and left a lasting impression.

"You'd need a good plot to make that work though," said Jonouchi, "I mean if the character isn't interesting, no one's gonna buy it. I won't even buy video games anymore, since so many of them are disappointing. It's easier to just rent them and see than pay a shit ton of money on something you can only play once…

Why is the main character a woman?"

Kaiba didn't know where to start with this response. Thoughts and memories raced around in his brain so infuriatingly that he eventually resolved to address the points one at a time.

"We're working out a compelling plot. The game will have at least fifty hours of main quest story, but the 'world' will be completely open to explore. You can do whatever you want, fight and kill whoever you want, climb mountains, swim oceans, explore caves…you'll learn to fly at some point, as well, but that'd take a long time to explain. All in all, with the amount of exploration and quests available, there should be more than five hundred hours of content in the game.

I chose to make the main character a woman because I find female main characters more compelling. They can express more emotion. They're more flexible from a writing standpoint, and have more options for design as well."

He took a breath before starting on the last issue, one which was a bit of a sore spot with him. His legs were uncrossed currently, and he rested his hands on his knees.

"As for the virtual system…I destroyed it. I personally destroyed the machines, and almost three-quarters of the schematics and software engineering required for them is in my head," he tapped his temple pointedly. "It hurt to get rid of it, but…it was too dangerous."

His chest constricted at the memory of himself and Mokuba, along with Yugi and his friends, being trapped in his original virtual kingdom. They'd been nearly killed. Their brains would have been destroyed, their bodies vegetables afterward. When he'd built the machines, it hadn't even occurred to him that they might be abused in such a way. It had been so blindly optimistic—so out of character for him.

"That experience we had with them…that would have happened again. And again. There would have been far too many people who would abuse the system. I was a fool to think it would be safe. Imagine if the wrong people gained the technology I used for it—if a government got their hands on it. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

He found that his hands were shaking, and, hoping that Jonouchi hadn't noticed, he crossed his arms and legs so his twitching fingers were hidden.

"Well, I liked it when it did work."

He really didn't know much about the system and how it got over taken in the first place. Jonouchi was no computer whiz, and although he enjoyed the game and found it very entertaining, he could see the flaw in it. How dangerous it was. Maybe they couldn't make a strong enough security system for it, which was a shame. In his opinion, the virtual world was the greatest thing Kaiba had ever created.

It also surprised him that Kaiba just gave it up, even if it pained him to do it. He could tell by body language alone that it was still bothering him, but he didn't say anything about it. Not wanting to embarrass him, he just put his chin into his hands in thought, elbow against his leg.

"The bus should be here soon, too. Then I'm going to get you into that fun house. Have you ever been in one?"

Kaiba relaxed his muscles at the topic change. He hadn't realized he was tense.

"I haven't been. When I was younger, my parents took me to a festival. I was only five years old, though, and I was short for my age, so I couldn't get into most places. I also-"

He cut off, realizing he was about to admit something he was sure would be a mistake to mention. He was probably more ashamed of it than he should have been, but he held himself to very high standards. Moreover, he didn't want Jonouchi to have any fodder to pick on him.

"You also what?"

Once something was being mentioned and Kaiba cut himself off, the other man wasn't going to let it go. He wanted to know what he was about to say, and turning his head inquisitively to find out, he looked his companion in the eyes to find out the answer. It couldn't be that bad, if Kaiba was only five years old at the time.

"-And it's kinda amusing thinking of you as being short, because you're not anymore…"

Jonouchi was tall for a Japanese man, and still Kaiba had a few inches on him. It was astounding, that someone would reach seventy-two cemimeters in a place where most males barely got to sixty five before reaching their maximum height.

Kaiba heaved a deep sigh, mentally preparing to make his admittance. Of course Jonouchi wouldn't let it go. He should have known.

"My parents would have been able to convince the festival workers to let me in, but…I was afraid of the funhouse. I saw floors moving and heard loud noises and it frightened me. When my parents tried to convince me that I was overreacting, I started tearing up and trying to run away…"

He remembered the event vividly. Looking back on his young life now, he realized that he was an odd child. He'd had intelligence far beyond his years, but the emotional capacity of someone his own age. Even at the time, as his young instincts had warned him that noise and inexplicable movements meant danger, he had felt embarrassed for being immature.

"It's just an embarrassing childhood story. I don't really like telling them. People might start thinking less of me."

"Everyone gets scared as a kid. You should have seen my sorry ass in a fun house when I was eleven! My dad took me there with my sister, and we were running around having a good time until this zombie clown tried grabbing me. Got so freaked out, I ended up kicking the man in the crotch and we got told to leave."

Unlike Kaiba, Jonouchi found his memory pretty funny. He was snickering over it and didn't feel ashamed at all. Even as a kid, he was very physical and knew how to fight against people bigger than him, despite his mother trying to curb his nature into something more respectable. Once he turned thirteen and started getting involved in street gangs, the woman just all together gave up.

And then Shizuka stopped coming by for visits. The whole period of his teen years were very distressing, and it wasn't something Jonouchi ever liked talking about or felt very proud to admit that his mother basically told him he was dead to her.

"I'll only think less of you if you don't go in with me this time."

Kaiba was amused at the thought of a tiny Jonouchi beating up a grown man, and snorted before he could stop himself. It made him feel a little better about his own story, but it struck him that at least Jonouchi had gone inside, and he'd fought rather than running. He brushed these thoughts away and smirked amusedly.

"I dunno man," he affected a voice of mock hesitation, "I have this thing with clowns…"

"Shut up."

Jonouchi didn't like hearing himself, ever. He was told by many that he spoke out of his nose and had a rather nasally sounding voice. Kaiba did a good impression of it. Giving a rather sour expression over the teasing, he sighed before getting up as the bus came towards them.

"And I am scared of clowns. Don't you ever tell anyone that."

Kaiba blinked at Jonouchi as he stood beside him.

"For once, Jonouchi, I wasn't making fun of you. I was joking. But in all honesty, I also find clowns…disturbing. I mean, you never know who's under that makeup. When I was a child, I was terrified of anything wearing mask or maquillage. I think it's only fair that I keep your secret."

He actually hadn't meant to offend. Usually he wouldn't be so apologetic, but he was thinking more and more that, despite Jonouchi's elevated threshold for verbal abuse, it wasn't fair to be more hurtful toward him than was necessary.

Not that he planned to admit these thoughts to anyone soon.

"Good, because if you don't," threaten Jonouchi, pointing a finger at Kaiba's chest, "I'll be sure to tell Mokuba all about your clown fears if he doesn't know already."

He wasn't being too serious, but he wasn't going to let the other man know that. Smirking to himself, he jumped onto the bus right away when the doors opened; paying the fee before taking a seat again towards the middle of the vehicle so he could look out the window. Taking the one farthest away from the aisle, he leaned up against the glass and gazed up at the darkness.

"One day you'll need to take me to KaibaLand," he mused, "I haven't been there in years. I want to try all the roller coasters, because I didn't get to do that last time and you seem like the type who'd actually get on one. Shizuka always hated fast rides."

If Kaiba could handle riding a jet, he could handle a roller coaster. His facial expression probably didn't change at all while being shot around in the car, while Jonouchi often ended up screaming like a girl at all the drops. Fearful of heights yet too stupid and excited to stay away from them, it was just something he always ended up doing whenever the chance came.

Oh, Kaiba would definitely get on the rollercoaster. He kept his agoraphobia to himself, especially since the frequency with which he took to the sky spoke against it. In reality, the height and wide open space made his stomach tingle, and on a rollercoaster, his knuckles sometimes turned white from gripping the bar too hard, but he loved the thrill of fear. The speed, the suspense of a climb before the drop…

He was a little hesitant to get on one with Jonouchi, since it would alert him to his fear of heights more than likely. But Kaiba didn't have to be ashamed of a natural human response to being off the ground. He understood his reaction and worked around it. He wouldn't be shaking in his boots or screaming bloody murder.

"I'm surprised you haven't been to KaibaLand in so long," he lamented, "But I suppose it's less accessible to adults. You and I can go sometime. Soon, if you wish. Hell, we can go on a day when the park is closed and have the place to ourselves.

"I don't like going to those types of places by myself, so that's mainly why I haven't gone. Not since Yugi and the others split ways. But yeah, I'd like to go again, during business hours though. I don't need your workers staring at me if we went alone…"

The thought of it was strange. It felt too much like a date perhaps? And that was not what was going on. Shaking his head, Jonouchi looked back out the window again towards the looming city skyline, becoming a little more excited at the prospect of being downtown. Usually he couldn't afford to do something like this, so after thinking about it in his head, he came up with a rather large request.

"I think we should stay at a hotel tonight and go to the fish market in the morning. Going right before the sun comes up is the best time to see everything, like the giant tuna they auction off. It's so cool, and we might be able to get into a place where they sample off the cuts. You've got to like fish."

All Japanese people liked fish, in Jonouchi's mind. Who couldn't? The flavors were light and delicate, without any over powering taste like beef or other meat could sometimes have. When fresh, a person could taste the salt of the ocean. It was a real treat, and he knew Kaiba would enjoy it, if he was willing to share a hotel room with him.

Kaiba quirked an eyebrow, side-eyeing Jonouchi. Seriously? The same young man who became visibly uncomfortable anytime he did something that could even possibly be considered homosexual was asking to share a hotel with him?

Well, whatever. If Jonouchi was comfortable with it, then it didn't matter. He couldn't say for later, though. If Jonouchi started acting like he was overcompensating for a perceived slip in his masculinity, then Kaiba would probably feel the need to check him.

"I don't see why not. I can certainly afford it. I'm not working tomorrow, so we may as well make an event of it. I'll just have to let Mokuba know I'll be out overnight."

He'd called his brother earlier to tell him he'd be out late, and the fifteen-year-old's response had been an 'okay' in a tone that questioned why he'd bothered calling over it. It hadn't been hurtful, per se, but it tugged at his heartstrings to know just how little his brother depended on his presence now.

He stuffed those thoughts into a corner of his mind and locked them away so he could focus on the text message he was composing.

It didn't occur to Jonouchi as anything remotely homosexual since he didn't plan on sharing the same bed with Kaiba. Unlike the time with the futon in his apartment, they'd have much more personal space, which the blond wanted. He had slept out with male friends before, namely Yugi and Honda, without thinking much of it.

No, it wasn't that he was uncomfortable around males, but how Kaiba talked to him. Maybe he was reading into it more than he needed to, but the older man gave out strange vibes Jou couldn't really read clearly. Sometimes he couldn't tell sarcasm from truth, and more curious to understand it than turned off at the prospect of Kaiba's sexuality being more, colorful, he left his initial discomfort go.

Watching Kaiba text, he tried not to look over his shoulder. He didn't want to actually see what the man was writing, but interested in the fancy sleek phone, his eyes couldn't help but wander over to the object.

"I always wondered if Mokuba disliked me because of you," pondered Jonouchi out loud.

Kaiba paused momentarily to stare at Jonouchi in surprise.

"Disliked you? When did Mokuba ever act as if he disliked you?" He queried, genuinely curious. He still remembered his brother passionately lecturing him on how he was 'too mean' toward Jonouchi.

"He likes you. He always admired your strength, and he thought your hair was 'cool'. He…bleached it a while back. He let it go black again, but…after that he cut it. His hair looks kind of like yours now, but I doubt that was intentional. It's a bit messy, but he likes it…"

He sent his text and sighed, letting his head fall back as he stared at the metal ceiling of the bus.

"His hair was so beautiful before," he mused, forgetting for a moment that Jonouchi could hear him, "I wish he'd left it alone."

He couldn't control what his brother did with his body (so long as he wasn't harming it), but he'd been upset by the changes. Mokuba was expressing himself and finding his own way, but the small, bright-eyed kid with long raven hair he'd once been had changed into a tall, slender, attractive young teenager with a lot of tenacious independence. Cutting and bleaching his hair had just been visible symbols, ones which brought Kaiba even more out of his denial of the situation.

"Yeah well, I was worried about that for a while. I thought maybe he didn't like me, because he had those bratty moments of his and he looked up to you like… I don't even know. More than a brother, that was for certain. Kinda made me jealous, because my sister and I aren't even really that close."

Thinking about Mokuba dying his hair blond made him snort though. He couldn't imagine that, the kid looking similar to him and how Kaiba probably felt about it. Ha, the imagery in his head was too perfect for words. Shock would be too easy, and Jonouchi figured Kaiba to be more of the conservative type, since he never really did anything to his body that others would consider weird. Sometimes his clothes were a bit outlandish, but that came with having too much money.

"He must have good taste if his hair looks anything like mine," added Jou, ruffling his own up before smoothing down a little. "It couldn't be easy having a thick mane of hair for so many years, and I don't think anyone would want to be mistaken for a girl as a teenager. Hmm… I need to see him again sometime."

Not that long hair wasn't nice, but usually only girls did that sort of thing. Not young men.

"He isn't really mistakable for a girl…I don't think. Well, maybe he was. I don't know. I'm having trouble dealing with his growing up. I wish he could have just stayed young…"

Kaiba ran his fingers through his hair, which he often did when he thought about how he'd deal with Mokuba's adolescence. The boy seemed well-adjusted, but he probably wouldn't stay that way if he didn't get his shit together.

But it was hard…

Thankfully before Jonouchi had to try to find something to say, the bus stopped at their destination. Mind turning back towards their plan, Jonouchi shot up quickly from his seat, not giving much time for Kaiba to get up and get out since he was closer to the exit. He could barely contain himself, although he didn't spaz out like he would have two years ago…

"I really hope the lines aren't huge like last time…"

Not that he could do much about it if they were. Getting off and being greeted by the darkness, Jonouchi looked out towards Domino Park and saw whirling lights. They shinned in the darkness, and following them enthusiastically, he almost felt like grabbing Kaiba's hang to drag him along faster. Almost.

But he didn't. Stopping himself from being too overly ridiculous, he just walked out ahead of him impatiently while trying to find the ticket line before it got too long. He wanted to try the rides, the fun houses, get dinner, the game booths (although he knew they were rigged), the Ferris wheel, and a shit ton of other things before passing out in some hotel room in an exhaust induced coma.

The urge to smoke didn't even get to him; he wanted to get inside that badly.

Jonouchi's childlike excitement made Kaiba feel a little elated himself. Having a soft spot for children as he did, seeing that behavior in his companion made him feel a strange sort of admiration. Or, perhaps, mild jealousy. He wished he could feel that kind of burning anticipation for something.

Then again, maybe he did. Certainly, when he was doing science or coming up with an idea, being on that journey and reaching what he knew must be the point where the pieces of the puzzle fell into place…he experienced a voracious excitement at those times. But it wasn't quite the same as that innocent thrill.

"It doesn't look too crowded," he called to Jonouchi, quickening his pace so he could stop slowing them down, "I'm sure we'll get in without issue. And we can stay as late as you like, so make sure you don't rush us through just to get to everything."

He was acting as if it was Jonouchi's responsibility, but he admitted to himself that he actually wanted to experience the festival to its fullest. Maybe he'd even eat some crap food from street vendors.

Jonouchi snorted, turning back to respond. "That's why I recommended the hotel room. I don't want to walk back alone to my apartment at night, it's too… well, not a good idea. If I don't have to take the risk, then I won't."

Once the actual ticket line came into view, he sprinted towards it without saying another word. There were at least twelve or more people there, with kids and baby strollers all lined up. Teenagers were among the crowds too, but most of them were hanging around the entrance as if unsure if they thought it was cool enough for them to go inside or not.

Jonouchi wondered what Mokuba would have thought of it, him and his older brother going to a carnival together. It was kind of a funny thought and he knew the kid would get some sort of amusement out of it, if only because Kaiba worked at theme parks and this wouldn't be nearly as good as KaibaLand. However, it wasn't like Jou had to really work on convincing him to come either.

When Kaiba returned to his side, he turned back towards him, folding his arms before opening his mouth to talk.

"Also don't want to invade your personal space. Not that I don't appreciate your invitation over, but I think maybe once we get to know each other a little better, I won't come off as threatening to you. I don't know."

Shrugging, he turned back towards the ticket booth.

Kaiba leaned a little closer to Jonouchi so his mouth was nearer to his ear. He realized he was probably being a tad creepy, but he wanted to speak without shouting to the rest of the world.

"I agree," he stated, trying not to breathe on Jonouchi's ear, "It's not you specifically. The things I do at home are very private to me. I'm not used to anyone being in some of my spaces."

He stood upright again, propping himself up by standing tip-toe so he could see further over the heads of others in the crowd. There were a good number of people in front of them, but it looked like some were families and couples, so maybe it would go faster than it looked like it would.

His mind wandered to Mokuba again, and he wondered if maybe he should have brought his kid brother along, but then he remembered how Mokuba had lost a lot of interest in their own theme park. He still loved it, it being something they'd dreamed of building for years, but he was building his own dreams now.

Fortunately, Jonouchi was childish enough to make up for Mokuba's absence.

It had freaked him out a tad when he suddenly felt Kaiba's breath on his ear, the heat making his hair stand on end. Too shocked to turn around and face him, he stood there frozen until it went away and Jonouchi actually understood what Kaiba was telling him.

"I guess I can get that. Back in high school I used to have people over all the time, like Honda and Yugi. Mostly Honda, because he was from around the neighborhood, and I never had anything to hide. We just hung out all the time, playing video games and stupid stuff like that…"

Afraid of rambling, he stopped himself and turned his attention back towards the ticket booths. Why weren't the crowds going by faster? Arms crossed and expression growing dark, he started tapping his foot on the ground along with his fingers, impatient and never quite still no matter what was going on. Most people like Anzu found the habit annoying, Jonouchi's refusal to stay still, but maybe Kaiba hadn't noticed. Jou hoped he hadn't noticed.

"It looks like the fee is only a few yen. Ha! I won't be going broke anytime soon after all, and it looks like the entry fee covers all the rides too. I'm in luck."

"I'm treating, anyway," Kaiba reminded Jonouchi, "So don't worry about it. I'll pay for food too, if you want any."

He watched Jonouchi's foot tapping, the motion intriguing him. There was a certain rhythm to the noise coming from the crowd, and Jonouchi's tapping almost seemed to be keeping a galloping beat along with it. It was like something that was nearly a song, but not quite.

His brain worked in strange ways.

Jonouchi's constant leg-waving, foot-tapping, and other repetitive motions intrigued him. They were always rhythmic, and sometimes changed speed depending on his mood or the amount of noise and people around them. He wanted to note these things to Jonouchi, and see if he was conscious of them, but he realized he'd probably sound like a freak.

So instead, he stared at Jonouchi's foot tapping like the freak he was. Smooth.

"What? No. I'm not broke, and I don't want you buying shit for me. There's plenty of money in my pocket for me to handle this, and I have a job…" He was on the verge of freaking out, he hated getting hand outs so much, "It's not a big deal, I don't need your money."

Besides, Jonouchi could eat a lot. His stomach was a bottomless pit, having the metabolism of a bird. Everything burned through his system quickly and he never really had to work on keeping his body in shape. It did it all naturally for him, his body staying lean with very little work despite the blond often eating the worst of Japanese junk foods all the damn time.

Getting all riled up stopped the foot tapping, although he didn't notice. Looking up at Kaiba's face, he remained adamant about paying for himself, not liking the idea of owing the other man anything. Independence was important to him. And after being called a dead beat for so long, yeah… he wasn't going to have anyone cover him on anything.

"Besides, you're paying for the hotel."

"But you paid for food yesterday and let me sleep in your house, use your water, and eat your food," Kaiba argued, "I owe you. Besides, a few yen isn't going to break my bank. I agreed to treat this time. Let me keep my commitment."

Honestly, he wouldn't care if he hadn't already planned on it. Jonouchi was fully capable of paying for himself, but he'd agreed to pay for their next outing, and he didn't want to break that.

And he had to admit that part of him felt like he should pay for Jonouchi, possibly because he was so damn excited about the festival that it reminded him of Mokuba years ago. Maybe he was associating this with taking his brother places years back. He didn't know. He just wanted things to be simple…

He'd learned from experience that anything was simple if he threw enough money at it. Except, obviously, Jonouchi. He couldn't really complain about that.

"… Fine. But this is the one and only time."

Kaiba's argument was too logical and he couldn't fight that. But he wouldn't allow himself to be spoiled and treated every single time, because the man was proud. He didn't like feeling poor even if he kinda was poor, and although his money was well managed, Jou could never spend without taking care of putting enough aside to care for his necessaries.

However, he didn't want Kaiba knowing about it or getting involved. Just because he had money didn't mean Jou had any right to rely on it. Friends didn't do that, and Jonouchi always found a way to afford the things he wanted. Hell, he bought designer sneakers without thinking much of it, spending several thousand yen each time yet always managing to pay the apartment bill.

"And I want to go to the fun house first."

Frowning, he watched Kaiba pay as it came their turn, arms still folded. And tapping his foot again, he waited for the transaction to finish, so he could get to the fun stuff and fool around before passing out some hours later.

"The funhouse? Seriously? I would have thought you'd want to get on a fast ride first," Kaiba snorted, but he followed Jonouchi regardless. He was a little worried he'd be jumpy in the funhouse. He wasn't a nervous person, but he was very responsive, and loud noises tended to make his head snap in their direction. He supposed it came from raising his little brother. It was a habit he wasn't sure he'd ever shake.

"Also, if there's a clown somewhere in there, I won't judge you for running away," he smirked, amused by the mental image even as he was well aware that he might, in fact, take defensive measures against any festival workers who took him by surprise. Just how paranoid was he, anyway?

"I'm not going to run away from the fucking clown," snapped Jonouchi, snatching a ticket from Kaiba before pointing a finger at him, "I'll kick his ass first."

This was entirely possible. The only time he really ever ran away from something was when Bakura came running down the cave with skeletons on his back. It took the blond by surprise so much he couldn't help but resort to herd mentality, running alongside his friends until they tripped the giant boulder and Honda punched it and the damn thing popped.

It was an embarrassing memory.

"Just you watch, it'll be me saving your rich butt from those monsters…"

And mumbling to himself, he started making his way through the attractions, looking for the fun house or hall of mirrors. Whichever freaky thing came first, that was what Jonouchi was interested in.

"Jonouchi, if you catch me running from anything in a damn funhouse, you have my explicit permission to give me hell about it until I've learned my lesson."

He genuinely hoped nothing would give him cause to panic. He knew what to expect from a funhouse, but anything unexpected would immediately register as a threat. Multiple kidnapping, sabotage, and even assassination attempts he'd dodged in the past had made him paranoid and taught him not to disregard the unexpected.

They were nearing the funhouse now, and he stayed close to his companion, not wishing to be separated in the crowd. It was dark, and it was even darker inside the funhouse more than likely. Jonouchi had light hair, but he didn't glow. If he was close enough to keep track of the other man's silhouette, he wouldn't lose him.

"We're near the entry," Kaiba informed Jonouchi, "When we're inside, don't stray off. I know you're excited, but I'd rather not lose track of you in there if you go prancing off."

"Don't temp me to take off," warned Jou, as he passed through the threshold. The strobe lights were going off and walking into near pitch blackness, he was glad that the other man was near. He loved and hated being afraid, taking a strange sort of high from having the shit scared out of him. Not many people liked fear, but Jonouchi lived off of it.

It was one of the reasons why he enjoyed running in the gang. He never knew when something was going to happen, when he'd run into a rival gang member. Getting into fights, especially unequal ones were the best and although he lost plenty of times and had bruised his ribs and gained scars all over for being so stupid… The feeling was good.

The fun house couldn't compare, but that was fine. Jonouchi was trying to stay on the "good" path, and if that meant low thrills, than he'd have to take them when he could get them. Moving through the darkness, he didn't go too far to leave Kaiba behind, hearing the taller man close behind him as he walked through, looking around at nothing.

"I'm starting to think there's no one actually in here. How lame."

"No visitors? Or no employees?" Kaiba queried, "Because if there aren't going to be random actors jumping out at me, I won't complain."

He realized in a near epiphanic moment that he hated this environment. His danger sensors were activating, his eyes darting from dark corner to dark corner as if any number of dangers lurked in the shadows. He knew he was being ridiculous. If someone was there, trying to hurt him, they'd have done it. He and Jonouchi were in a perfect location for an ambush.

It didn't stop him from taking a second or two to ensure the places the light barely touched just had rubbish or irregular bumps in them, rather than the shapes of assailants.

He was being far, far too paranoid. But if he had to be honest, he kind of enjoyed the suspense. What was he doing to himself?

"So what, do we walk through here and pretend to be frightened by manikins?"

Just as Kaiba said those words, a mass of strobe lights went off as a dark figure popped out in front of Jonouchi. Screaming, the blond backed up into Kaiba, nearly falling over before the figure disappearing, sending the younger man's heart racing. He could barely get himself together, standing there stupidly before catching his breath.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" he asked, looking back at Kaiba.

And becoming very curious and acting on impulse, he took off after it.

Kaiba ran top-speed after Jonouchi, finding that the adrenaline made his lungs forget that his cardio wasn't as good as it used to be. He cursed his luck, annoyed that the very moment he'd stopped trying to detect danger, something bad had happened. No matter; one or both of them would catch the retreating figure who was attempting to evade them in the funhouse.

He hoped, partly, that it had been just another visitor, who was just as surprised (terrified) as they were, but he didn't allow that hope to take hold. The letdown would be too taxing.

Jonouchi was several feet ahead of him, running with such energy that Kaiba was tempted to compare him to a dog. He bit his tongue on that and instead called out to him:

"Can you see who it is?"

He stopped, hearing Kaiba's voice echoing through the hall. Turning around, all of a sudden he felt just how hard he was running, for absolutely nothing. The monster had escaped, and now in near pitch blackness again, he wasn't too sure on what to do. Like, if he wanted to stay walking in front again.

"No, I think it was part of the fun house. They didn't look normal and their face was covered," said Jonouchi, partly relieved to find Kaiba back by his side. It made him feel a little bit more at ease, even if he nearly fell on him. Sure, it was slightly embarrassing, but nothing he probably hadn't done years before.

Then the lights changed. Instead of near darkness, the room was in shadows, mirrors surrounding them all over. It was confusing, being stuck in a maze of sorts, Jonouchi being terrible at figuring out those sorts of things. Sometimes it took him hours before he could get out, the glass giving false images of escape.

"Shit."

"Are you sure that was part of the funhouse?" Kaiba's senses were piqued, and he was breathing heavily from the run. He wasn't doing as badly as he had the day before, but he was still in need of a drink. Soon.

Everything about this spoke of danger to him, but Jonouchi seemed mostly upset about the mirrors. From Kaiba's perspective, being lured into a confusing maze by an unknown party was very, very bad.

He reminded himself again that if someone was after them, he'd be dead or stolen already. Straightening, he glanced around, forcing his perspective to discern the actual exit to the mirror maze. It was impossible to figure out the whole way from here, but he could see on viable path.

"Let's go that way," he pointed to their left, and then noticed in the mirrors that his hair had been tousled horribly when he ran. He walked closer to one mirror and started smoothing his locks, feeling horribly self-conscious about it, before he turned to face Jonouchi again. Hopefully, the other man wouldn't argue with him about which direction to take.

Grumbling, Jonouchi grabbed Kaiba's hand and pulled him away from the mirror, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. He didn't want to wait on Kaiba to finish his little grooming session, because he looked the same as always and if they got spooked again, it would all be for nothing.

"Are you sure this is the right way?"

Stopping, he looked at the path. The mirrors fucked with his vision, making everything so confusing. There was no clear way out and panicking a little, Jonouchi started tapping his foot on the ground. He felt like a caged animal with nowhere to run. It didn't help that Kaiba even looked slightly freaked out, and turning from him to the mirrors; it occurred to him that maybe walking into the maze wasn't such a great idea.

And he was still holding Kaiba's hand. Dropping it rather suddenly, he turned sharply away and fought the urge to say something. Shutting his mouth was the best way to hide his embarrassment. He didn't need the teasing to start again, when he already felt so anxious.

Kaiba was slightly upset when Jonouchi dropped his hand. He'd felt a little awkward about the contact, but it had been comforting, and a guarantee that they wouldn't be separated. He heard Jonouchi's foot tapping and saw the reflection in every mirror. He didn't normally mind the tapping, but right now, it was distracting his ability to see a clear path to their goal.

"Jonouchi," he addressed authoritatively, "You need to stop tapping your foot. I want to get out of this maze, and if I look mathematically, I can figure out which way to go. The reflection of your foot is disrupting me."

He heard a creak, and immediately checked every mirror for a sign of an attacker, but saw nothing. Then he just felt embarrassed for overreacting, but hopefully Jonouchi wouldn't think poorly of him.

Jonouchi stopped, after giving a nasty look Kaiba's way. Now he was feeling even worse, with no way to use up his pent energy. If he tried tapping his fingers, he figured Kaiba would snap at him again for it, so rolling his eyes angrily, he waited for the other man to figure out their escape.

However, he'd get over it. Glancing at the glass, he noted something strange in the reflection. It didn't belong, a disturbing looking face that was going towards him. In his mind he was fighting against telling Kaiba about it, but before the other man noticed, the damn thing came straight out of the mirror, hands out to grab Jonouchi.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" He screamed, almost running backwards, slamming his back into the glass across from him. At least this time it wasn't Kaiba's body, and hitting his ass on the floor, he was too frightened to feel stupid.

Yet.

Kaiba knew he'd hate himself later, but rather than immediately attack the person who'd scared the piss out of Jonouchi, he instead grabbed his companion by the arm and ran in what he knew was the right direction. Jonouchi was dragging behind him, his balance off, but it wasn't important. Kaiba wanted to get out. He could handle suspense. Suspense was exciting. But creepy-ass I-don't-know-if-that-freak-is-dangerous-or-not jump scares were not up his alley.

He wasn't even sure who or what that had been. They'd been right in the blind spot, that particular panel out of sight in any of the mirror reflections he'd been facing. He realized that the maze was rather brilliantly constructed, but it didn't make him feel much better about being scared to flight by a radiation-victim-looking actor.

He stopped in a room that appeared like a round dead-end, but he could tell there was an exit on one side, positioned just so it wasn't easily visible. He tried to catch his breath, hoping that they were still going in the right direction. They were making progress, but he had no idea whether they were progressing toward an exit.

"Are you all right?" He asked, remembering how hard Jonouchi had fallen.

"I'm fine."

He had taken worse falls than that, among other things. The pain was easy to shake off, and after dusting his jeans, he glanced Kaiba's way to see what he was planning on doing next. Most fun houses always had a big bad waiting right at the exit, and Jonouchi was planning on it. However, he wasn't sure if his companion knew about that.

"If you found a way out Kaiba, you need to watch out for one last boggy man. They always leave one last monster at the exit," Jonouchi told him, trying still to catch his breath, "and even though we're out of the mirrors…"

It was still dark. And scary. He thought nothing of Kaiba taking off running, since he didn't leave him behind. Jonouchi got dragged behind him by the arm, rubbing the sore spot since the man's grip was pretty strong, but it didn't bother him that much.

"So yeah. How are we getting out of here?"

"The exit is directly to our right. It's flush to the mirrors on the wall, so you have to walk to the right and turn in order to see it. Unless you're a genius, in which case you can detect the geometrical patterns in the mirrors' reflections and see where it is from here."

He was showing off partly to recover some of his dignity, and partly because he was trying to puff up his ego before dealing with the last jump scare. He knew himself well enough to realize his throat would probably constrict to the point that he was silenced, if he was actually scared by it, so he'd either attack out of reflex or just run for it with Jonouchi in tow.

Shit. He'd told Jonouchi he could tease him about it if he ran, too.

For the moment, though, it seemed that wasn't going to happen. He cautiously approached the exit, hearing Jonouchi's quiet footsteps nearby, along with another, more distant set of thumps from the direction they'd just left. Either one of the boogeymen was following them from a distance, or someone else was lost in here as well.

He didn't care much at the moment. He was going to have a heart attack at this point. His survival and protective instincts were driving him insane more than they should, and all he wanted was to get back outside with himself and Jonouchi in one piece.

Jonouchi was half listening; his attention caught between Kaiba's calming voice and the thing he could hear sneaking up behind him. It sounded like footsteps only louder, and wanting to be macho again, he refused to turn around to look. There would probably only be darkness anyways, so why bother looking?

When Kaiba finished though, it became louder and he couldn't stop the urge to see. Looking back slightly, Jonouchi could see a figure coming out of the darkness, far larger than the actors who appeared before. The shadow was huge, coming out of the dead space they had just left, and throat caught, Jonouchi was too struck by fear to say anything.

Instead, he backed up slowly into the other male, his mouth wide open while grabbing at Kaiba's arm. The thing was coming out of the darkness, and like a deer in the head lights, he couldn't manage to make himself run. Or do anything.

Kaiba felt Jonouchi tugging at his wrist, which was irritating the hell out of him, but the choked noises and sudden full-on body contact gave him pause. They were so close to getting out, too. Kaiba turned his head to grumble at his companion.

"For the love of—what is it, Jonouchi? We're almost out of here, let's just-"

He paused when he saw a remarkably large figure looming before them, less than seven feet away and ridiculously quiet for their size. He had misjudged volume for distance, it seemed, when in fact, whatever that thing was evidently had some skills in stealth.

Kaiba's survival instincts kicked into overdrive. He grabbed Jonouchi's hand and tugged as he bolted, shouting.

"Piss! God dammit Jonouchi, just fucking run! You can trip over yourself later, just run!"

He was sure whoever was hired to act in this place would have a good laugh later, but he simply did not care anymore. He couldn't shake the suspicion that any one of those people could be actually after him specifically, and the tension was killing his nerves.

Wide eyed and still too stupid to react, Jonouchi just allowed himself to be pulled. He was going as fast as Kaiba, but he wasn't thinking about it, his only desire being to get the hell out of the fun house and return back to the normal world. Anything was better than feeling hunted, he knew that feeling far too well, and once outside and no longer in any danger, he stopped, short of breath.

"That was… AMAZING, WE SHOULD DO IT AGAIN!"

The rush was back. That feeling of being in danger was a high he loved more than anything, and laughing uncontrollably, he stumbled upon a bench before putting his hands through his hair. Fear turned quickly into euphoria, that great feeling of just being alive running through his veins.

"You can't tell me that wasn't fun, Kaiba! That thing in the back just about scared the living crap out of me; I haven't been so freaked out since that time we got chased down by that boulder in the cave… And that horrible duel with Keith."

Looking up at Kaiba's face, he didn't see the same look of excitement on it.

Kaiba had been disturbed by the funhouse, and even now there was a ringing in his ears that drowned out the noise of the crowd around him. But more than the experience itself, he was disturbed by Jonouchi's reaction. He was happy about this? He was happy about being so scared that he was paralyzed? Why would he want that? Why?

He felt sick, like he'd just eaten a full meal before getting on the roller coaster. He stumbled until he found a wall to lean against.

"I need to…sit down," he mumbled, though he ended up crouching rather than sitting. He'd been far too worked up before. The adrenaline rushes were leaving him weak-kneed and dizzy, and he was still convincing his instincts that he hadn't just been in mortal danger.

Jonouchi had thought it was fun. Jonouchi had been the one screaming and falling all over the place. If that had been a survival situation, he would be dead.

Then again, maybe he was taking things too seriously, but he couldn't shake the power of association.

"Are you okay?"

His heart stopped beating out of his chest after a few minutes, and turning towards Kaiba, he stared at his face. It looked tense and strained, like those times when Mokuba was gone and they had to go looking for him. There was a familiar appearance there, and it was a little worrisome, because the fun house was just a fun house. It was supposed to be fun.

"That was pretty intense, I'll have to admit. I didn't think it would be that scary, especially that last part, jeez. I'm sorry for slamming into you, and screaming like a kid. I can't help it and I did the same thing with my friends back in duelist kingdom actually, in case you didn't already know."

He didn't think Kaiba was listening to him. However, that didn't stop his mouth from running. Whenever he got nervous, the blond started rambling, words just spilling out of his mouth faster than he had time to process it. It was a terrible habit, but he couldn't help it and no one bothered breaking him from it, so trying to calm himself, he just kept talking until he noticed Kaiba's expression change.

"It's fine," Kaiba wasn't sure why Jonouchi was apologizing. Perhaps he was flustered. "I shouldn't have…I got too worked up. It's my own damn fault. I tried to convince myself it was just a funhouse, but…I've been through too much shady shit. Some part of me believed we were in real danger and I couldn't stop it."

He sighed, standing carefully to ensure his knees didn't give out unexpectedly. It seemed he was able to walk again, at least, and had managed not to break out in a cold sweat.

"I'm overreacting. I promise I'll be less of a little bitch on the roller coaster."

"Not yet, I need to smoke," whined Jonouchi, digging in his pockets for his lighter. He had one stick in his mouth, the cigarette bobbing up and down against his teeth as he unsuccessfully tried going through his jeans. It wasn't until he got up did it become loose enough to grab the light, but he ended up losing the cigarette as it dropped to the ground.

"Dammit."

Kicking it angrily, he got another one from his pack and taking a seat, lit the thing up before inhaling his first breath of smoke. After being shocked to hell, he needed something to relax him and smoking was usually it. Whenever he got the tar beaten out of him, he'd smoke away the feelings of pain until it dulled out to a manageable level. He thought it was better than drinking, and ever since freshman year of high school, it became his dirty habit.

"You weren't the bitch, Kaiba. I was screaming back there like a girl. It's embarrassing."

"I wouldn't say you screamed like a girl," Kaiba smirked and sat beside Jonouchi. He realized he was sitting a little closer than might be appropriate and scooted away before he crossed his legs. "I wouldn't be embarrassed, either. I was sure I wouldn't do any running in there, and that was essentially all I did. I screwed myself over pretty well, seeing as I gave you permission to bug me about it."

He scowled. He was really regretting that decision. He didn't want to seem like a coward, not in the least, but when his brain was convinced he was in danger; his pride was tossed out the window so fast it was unbelievable to him. Perhaps it was that, and the fact that he was consciously convincing himself that the figures he saw were only actors, and he didn't want to beat them up.

He watched the smoke waft lazily from Jonouchi's lips. He breathed it out slowly once rather than blowing it out and some drifted from his nostrils as if he was some type of dragon. Despite his disapproval of the habit, he found the sight fascinating. Perhaps he'd take up electrics just for the childish fun of blowing vapor from his nose and mouth.

His chest hurt periodically, and he realized he'd been far too stressed in there. This was why he couldn't subject himself to thrills like that…

"I need a drink," he groaned, lamenting the fact that there likely wasn't an alcohol vendor nearby and that even if there was; he probably wouldn't drink while they were out. He preferred to drink a little (or a lot, depending) when he was in a private place.

"You need a drink? I didn't think someone like you would be into that sort of thing. Huh."

Jonouchi wasn't entirely sure what to think of that. Despite his low opinion on alcohol, sometimes he indulged a little on occasion. Mostly when he was highly stressed out, like when he found out his dueling career wasn't going to last. He had drunken himself into passing out, leaving Yugi to take care of him at his apartment. Of course he didn't remember any of it, but his best friend told him.

It didn't take much to get him drunk either. Alcoholism was in his family. After three or four shots, he was usually pretty far gone and not completely aware of what was going on around him enough to react to anything appropriately. Drinking scared him because of that, and he was very sensitive about who he did it around. Even while in the gang, he didn't indulge around those guys.

"I'm sure they have a vending machine somewhere if you really need it," said Jonouchi, blowing smoke away from Kaiba's face, "or you could just wait until we get to the hotel."

There were also clubs and bars nearby, but he didn't' take Kaiba for that sort. He seemed like the type who would drink and think weird ass thoughts while doing it, which Jonouchi found amusing. It had the potential to be interesting to watch at least.

"I only drink in private," Kaiba replied, "Usually completely alone. I could use a stout to calm my nerves, but I'll get over it. I may raid the hotel fridge later, or pick up something on the way. It depends how I feel at the end of the evening."

He'd never been hung over in his life, so that didn't worry him. He was more concerned about how he'd act if he got so much as tipsy around Jonouchi. When he was by himself, he tended to think out loud, curse at things a lot, and run into furniture because he wasn't paying any attention. If Mokuba happened to walk in on him, he'd be unable to stop himself from grinning widely or even giggling uncontrollably.

He didn't want to do that in front of Jonouchi.

But on the other hand, he really did like the idea of topping off the evening with a drink or two. It'd take a whole hell of a lot more than that to get him tipsy—unless it was absinthe—and they'd probably be going straight to bed.

"I don't need to drink right now. Do you want to get on a rollercoaster? I don't really know what else is around here."

"They might have some vodka or something at the hotel…"

Musing over it, he thought about riding a roller coaster, but his stomach was growling and he knew if he ate something immediately before riding one, he'd end up puking right afterwards. And since his heart had already come close to stopping multiple times that night, he didn't think he'd take a chance on a roller coaster that night. There were other things to try.

"No. I want food. Badly."

Tossing his cigarette on the ground and stomping it off, he started looking around for somewhere to eat. There were vendors all over selling different types of food, but he didn't even know what he was hungry for. Everything looked good, from the gyoza to the tempora on a stick. He couldn't make up his mind, and looking up at Kaiba, he hoped the man would give him some advice.

"I don't know what to get," he said pitifully.

Kaiba looked around. His stomach was complaining more than it should, likely because of all the strain and exercise he'd had, and he looked around. Great sun, everything here would make him fat. He could make an exception for one day, he supposed, but he still worried about his waistline.

"The gyoza looks good," he noted, "If we can find some takoyaki that would be nice."

He kept to himself that he was hoping someone here would be making smoothies. He knew it was probably unlikely, but it did happen on occasion. He'd keep an eye out. He liked sweet things more than he'd ever admit to anyone, and he avoided them like the plague most days. Tonight was special, however.

"After that, I suppose we can do something low-intensity," he suggested, slightly disappointed that they were passing on the rollercoaster even though he wasn't entirely certain his nerves could take it tonight. They were already pretty shot.

"You must like takoyaki a lot, because didn't we have that last night? That's what you had with that ramen I cooked you, I remember you did enjoy it, despite your stick up the ass attitude."

Jonouchi snorted, turning his attention back towards the vendors. Hungry and not picky enough to care about what was going through his mouth, he just got a huge cup of gyoza and sticky rice, pouring the house sauce all it and sticking his chop sticks into it so he wouldn't lose them. Maybe if there was time later, he'd get some mochi. The idea of something sweet appealed to him, and unlike Kaiba, he wasn't too bothered by letting the other one know about his sweet tooth.

"Low intensity sounds good… what about the Ferris wheel? I hate heights, but it would scare the crap out of me in a good way. Maybe you haven't noticed yet, but I like freaking myself out."

And the Ferris wheel looked huge. It was the largest thing in distance, the wheel poking into the sky. The seats dangled in the air, and grinning at it, Jonouchi wanted to force himself on. Conquering his fears gave him immense pleasure, and begging with his eyes, he looked at Kaiba in hopes that he'd go on with him.


	6. Chapter 6

Kaiba grabbed one of Jonouchi's gyoza and munched it before responding.

"I to like takoyaki quite a bit," he admitted; then, feeling embarrassed, he deflected the statement with sarcasm: "It's the tentacles that give it that added je ne sais quoi."

He gazed up at the Ferris wheel, all ready feeling his chest tingle with the anticipation of being up high.

"The Ferris wheel sounds like a good replacement. I can handle the thrill of agoraphobia. Once we're on solid ground again, though, I want to…look for dessert."

He was hesitant to admit that, but he didn't want to run straight to the hotel after the Ferris wheel (assuming that was Jonouchi's intention). He really felt an unbearable craving for something sweet—and not red bean paste sweet, real fructose or sucrose sweet.

"Je ne sa- what?"

He didn't understand French, or any languages outside of his native tongue and English. Giving Kaiba an uneven look, he held his food closer to his chest and narrowed his eyes, stuffing his mouth with one of the pork dumplings before looking for a place to sit. Standing and eating was bothersome, and it was likely that he'd end up spilling food all over if he didn't find somewhere to sit his ass down.

"I thought you liked heights," remarked Jonouchi, "After the duel blimp and your jet. Hell, you rode that helicopter around like no one's business, how could you of all people be scared? I'm not even as daring as you to hang out of one by the ladder…

And dessert sounds good. I want something too. Like ice cream or a bean cake. I don't know what just yet, but I do know that I want something sweet eventually. Can't go to one of these places without trying a little of everything, you know?"

Kaiba probably didn't know, but Jonouchi was just talking out loud.

"I love heights," Kaiba explained, sitting beside Jonouchi and trying to plot a way to snag anther of his gyoza, "That's why I fly. I love the freedom, the wide open space…but I have a very active survival mechanism. My brain can't abide me being in the air without feeling vertigo or a thrill of fear. It's a fear I can handle, though. I understand it, and I don't associate it with any actual danger."

He managed to grab a pot sticker at high enough speed that Jonouchi couldn't stop him. He popped it into his mouth, a smug smirk on his face.

"As far as desert is concerned, I was hoping for something more sweet, like fruit or…smoothies. I don't know if either of those things will be here, but I can always hope."

"Fruit is so expensive," muttered Jonouchi, taking another dumpling with his chopsticks and munching it, "But I love strawberries and pineapple. I never really get to eat it unless it's in season, except when I was in California."

Narrowing his eyes again, he gave Kaiba an ugly look, trying to put some distance between them on the bench so his food wouldn't keep being snagged away from him. It wasn't like Jonouchi wasn't prone to taking food from others himself, but he didn't figure that Kaiba would be the sort to do that. It was pretty lax behavior on his part and he thought the brunet was someone who lived keeping up "social graces". That, and he hated sharing.

"They could have smoothies somewhere though. We'll have to look around after the Ferris wheel. I can't believe how tired I am already…we just got here. I'm so fucking lame sometimes, it's no wonder I have no social life anymore."

And finishing the last of his gyzoa, he turned his attention to the rice, wanting to get on that Ferris wheel as soon as possible.

"You're not that lame. I can barely stand right now. But since you're not in the mood to share with me, I'm going to get some takoyaki," Kaiba sniffed, pretending to be more offended than he actually was. He'd taken the first gyoza for a taste, and the second to see Jonouchi selfishly guard his food because it was hilarious. It honestly amused him to find that Jonouchi of all people didn't have a good sense of sharing.

He bought his own food from a nearby stand—eight takoyaki in a cup—before returning to the bench to eat it. He was hungrier than he'd expected, and had to force himself to slow down when he realized he'd mowed through three dumplings already. They were actually quite good…

"You have a social life," Kaiba remarked, grumbling a little dejectedly, "I'm here, aren't I? Unless you consider me an accessory, in which case I'm not dressing well enough for the part."

"I guess, but you only just started hanging out with me. Before you hunted me down in the street," said Jonouchi, curling his lip at the memory, "I was pretty much alone most days and nights. Everyone went their separate ways, and the only people I know around here aren't the sort you want to be around. I broke off contact with them for good reason."

He didn't want to tell Kaiba about his past life. Yugi and the others knew enough about it and never brought it up, because it was such a sore subject. Selling drugs to kids and getting away with it…well, it was nothing to be proud of. Nor was getting jumped by the gang's leader and eventually being kicked out for being a traitor. But hey, that was life. It wasn't Jonouchi's fault that they turned on him first.

"Hurry up and finish that so we can get on the wheel," he started whining, looking back at the new torture device he had in store for Kaiba. The rush of impeding fear was running through his veins, and becoming very antsy, he couldn't contain himself from shaking his foot while he waited.

Kaiba noted that Jonouchi's foot was twitching nervously again, so he kept his thoughts to himself and popped his last takoyaki into his mouth before standing to join him.

"Into the Ferris wheel, then," he agreed, pointing dramatically toward the wheel. Sometimes he enjoyed being theatrical, show-off that he was. Perhaps his more hammy behaviour had been trained out of him at an early age, but the instinct was still there.

He started the trek toward the device, feeling his excitement increase with every step closer. Damn, if he didn't love that tingle in his chest. The feeling was almost like…fear, but at the same time, it made him feel light, as if gravity would lose its hold on him at any moment. He just hoped he didn't get too dizzy at the top. Being in the pilot's seat of a plane or helicopter wasn't quite the same as being trapped in a possibly-faulty steel box at the top of a festival attraction.

He was actually pretty sure that if anything went wrong, he'd freak the fuck out, but until then, he would keep his demeanor of calm.

Which was good, because if Kaiba was freaking out, Jonouchi would lose his mind. He depended on others to tell him how serious a situation was, and if someone so normally collected started to wig out, it told him that he had real reason to freak out. Although he'd never admit it, he genuinely thought the other man was tougher than him. Going on the Ferris wheel was a desperate attempt at nullifying any lingering thoughts in Kaiba's brain that maybe he was coward.

"Those chairs look small," pondered Jonouchi, "And really easy to rock. Ha, I love rocking that shit in mid air. Made Honda almost piss his pants one time, because he thought the damn thing was going to fall from the sky."

He was that sort of friend—the kind who liked pushing other people's buttons. But he wouldn't do anything to Kaiba unless he showed fear. Still a bit of a bully, he couldn't help but mess with people, even if common sense told him not to.

"It would be really weird Kaiba if we ended up becoming best friends," he thought out loud, "Don't you think?"

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi, stopping in his tracks. He felt suddenly very cold inside, and while he tried to keep his strain and mild fear from showing on his face, he knew his eyes probably betrayed him.

"We won't be best friends anytime soon if you rock the box," he warned, though his tone suggested pleading. He did not plead or beg. Either Jonouchi would take a hint or…or he'd make a fool of himself up there. He realized that there was no way for him to win here if Jonouchi chose not to heed his words.

"If you think Honda reacted badly, then you do not want to see what I'll do under the same conditions."

Honestly, he didn't trust these things at all. The possibility of the box falling always lingered over him, and the idea that just maybe the people who put it together were a little drunk and forgot something important nagged at his mind. The reason he wanted to ride was for the fear and suspense, but he knew where his brain drew the line between real and perceived danger. That line wasn't always necessarily accurate, but at least he knew how not to cross it.

"Fine, I won't then."

Sulking a little, he got in line, crossing his arms impatiently for their time to be strapped in. Thankfully there weren't too many brave people willing to get on the shady looking ride, and in no time Jou was nearly prancing over to the seat. Grinning at Kaiba, he waited for the more reluctant man to join him.

"If you get too scared, don't feel afraid to ask me to hold your hand," Jonouchi teased, snickering to himself, "I don't want you pissing your pants."

Not that there was a chance of that happening, but he barely ever had the chance to poke fun at Kaiba. He could visibly see that the ride was bothering him, but at least he didn't sit it out like some people would have.

One of the workers pulled down the bar, and soon they were stuck next to each other. Grabbing the holding bar, Jonouchi looked over Kaiba's chest as the seats began to lurch forward, lifting them up higher so the next pair of people could get on.

"This really isn't that bad."

It actually wasn't. The ride was smoother than Kaiba had expected, and the fear of the whole thing falling apart was pushed to the back of his mind so he could simply enjoy the ride. That said, the seats were small, and even if he pressed himself against the edge, his thigh still pressed against Jonouchi's. The contact drew his attention more than he wished it to do; it had been so long since he'd touched another human being that it made his leg tingle a little.

Mokuba wasn't as physical with him anymore, because he was 'fifteen years old and too big to be giving his brother hugs all the time'. Kaiba was very protective of his body, and not necessarily a touch approacher, but he did value contact with people for whom he cared. He didn't mind touching Jonouchi, per se, but it was different than it was with Mokuba, and that made him uncomfortable.

He eventually resorted to pressing his knees together to stop the contact, and he probably looked strange doing it, but at least now he could focus on the actual ride. They were about a quarter of the way up, and he all ready felt that tingling excitement rise from his chest into his throat. His hands shook slightly in anticipation. He had the impulse to clasp them together, but he didn't want to look foolish. So, he simply let them twitch and shake.

"The city lights look amazing from here," he noted, "I'll bet it's even better at the top."

"Oh yeah, I bet it is."

It took everything in Jonouchi to keep himself from moving. He wanted to tap his foot, but biting his lip hard, he stopped himself. Any jarring movement would probably set Kaiba off, so trying his best not to move anymore than possible, he could feel a build up growing inside of him. Really, he just needed to go running more. And quit smoking. But neither of those things was going to happen anytime soon.

The body contact didn't bother him too much either. Being used to it, he thought nothing of having Kaiba's leg up against his until the man moved away from him. Giving him a rather quizzical look, he said nothing about it, but he didn't think Kaiba was comfortable sitting like that. It was odd and it slightly bothered him. The ride was supposed to be relaxing, yet Kaiba looked even more tense than ever before.

"You're not scared right now, are you? Because you look tense."

Smirking, he looked Kaiba in the eyes before turning his attention back toward the city. He could see everything, from Domino Pier over to the blinding light of the Kaiba Corp building, which was kind of neat from up in the air. The ships out at sea were even visible, and squinting his eyes to take a look at a naval aircraft carrier, Jonouchi shifted his weight.

Jonouchi happened to shift just as the car stopped for someone to get on, and as a result, there was creaking and swinging; Kaiba was so shocked and momentarily panicked that he grabbed the bar in front of him. His legs flew back open as he tried to brace himself, and he ended up smacking Jonouchi's knee with his own. That was just embarrassing.

His mortality came crashing down on him for a split second, and a five-year-old version of him would have started crying. However, he simply took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Even as he enjoyed the thrill, the vertigo had been a little too much for him. Or a lot too much.

"I wasn't scared until just now," he complained, not caring whether he was being bitchy or not, "I'm tense because I—because I don't trust this thing."

He was telling half of the truth, at least. He realized their legs were touching again, but didn't want to risk his pride by moving a second time. He'd probably offend Jonouchi by doing so, anyway.

"You're not going to die," teased Jonouchi, "And if you do, I'll be going right along with you. At least you can take some comfort in that, right?"

Not really, but the idea of it was funny. Two ex-champion duelists die at festival after faulty Ferris wheel breaks down. It was funny, and Jonouchi couldn't stop himself from laughing even if Kaiba looked visibly uncomfortable. He was too light hearted to care, and looking at the city, his mind started wandering off again.

"I used to take my sister to these sorts of things when I was a kid. I think the last time I did was when I was thirteen, before the falling out I had with my mom. We went over and I bought her a shit ton of cotton candy. I ate too much and got sick that night, but it was so much fun. Haven't really been able to do that again since, and me and Shizuka don't really talk much at all anymore."

He didn't know why he told Kaiba that, but Jonouchi figured maybe he would know how that felt. It was lonely, being Jonouchi sometimes. No family support, an estranged mother, and a father who had disappeared some two years ago. It wasn't good for him, and after leaning on his friends for support and being left behind, it was getting to him.

Kaiba didn't make a habit of pitying others, and he tried his best not to sympathize with Jonouchi. However, as an older brother, he couldn't help himself. He couldn't describe the pain of Mokuba growing distant. They loved each other just as much as they always did, but now, that dependence was gone. He felt like he'd lost his place in his brother's life.

At least he'd had time to know his brother. Jonouchi and his sister had been forcefully torn apart, and subsequently kept apart.

"Mokuba and I didn't do that kind of thing," he offered, "When we still lived in the orphanage, we'd play games together and build sand castle versions of the theme park we dreamed of building."

He sighed at the memories of his ten-year-old self building a remarkably complex rendition of what would become KaibaLand. Mokuba always worked more slowly, being five at the time, but he wasn't a bad sculptor.

"Other kids would come and destroy what we were building before we got much of anything done," he remembered bitterly, "Mokuba would cry, and when he cried, I got into a fight with someone. The orphanage faculty wrote on my record that I had 'anger management difficulties'."

"You got told that? Huh. Well, they wouldn't have liked me much at all then. I didn't need a reason to start a fight with someone. Still don't, not really. It's just kinda fun you know? Maybe it's just me, but I like testing myself to see how much I can handle of something before I break."

He knew Kaiba probably didn't feel the same way. Jonouchi had very little respect for his own personal safety, throwing it out the window more times than he could count. It mattered little to him if he got hurt or was in immense pain, as long as he didn't fall apart into some crying girl when it happened; his ego wouldn't allow for it. And periodically harassing the hornet's nest from time to time, eventually he came to enjoy it.

"My sister and I really didn't see much of each other, even as kids. Once my parents broke up, sometimes I saw my mother in Tokyo for a weekend and we'd go do something, but it rarely ever happened. Mostly because I reminded her of my dad too much, I think."

Sighing, he placed his elbows on the bar and looked out in front of him. It wasn't fair that he got treated so harshly for it, but the woman was flawed. She had her own set of issues, and eventually Jonouchi learned to stop trying to be accepted by her. After he'd been arrested for the fourth time, it was pretty much over, and the woman mattered very little to him.

"If it came between you and me though, I wonder who would win."

"In a fight? Why would you wonder something like that? I thought you wanted to be friends."

Kaiba wasn't sure what to think of that. He enjoyed conflict immensely, but actual physical fighting? Wanton violence fell into the category of 'war' for him, and war was something he accepted, but didn't much abide. He'd fight in a heartbeat if he was pushed, but to do it just because seemed like an odd idea.

"It would be arrogant to assume I'd win. Not to mention, it'd be an insult to your strength and skill. I suppose we're fairly evenly matched, because of our different styles and tactics, but who won would depend on who made the most screw-ups in any given fight."

When Jonouchi pissed him off, he felt more than willing to pop him one, but outside of that, he didn't even want to think about injuring him. Or being injured by him. He wasn't quick to forgive, and he didn't want to be angry with Jonouchi anymore.

"I was just thinking, is all. It's not like I'm going to jump you or anything… Jeez, Honda's my friend and I used to beat the tar out of him all the time. It was just what we did, but not enough to actually hurt each other. I don't know. Did you never just play fight with anyone before? Just to relieve stress?"

Jonouchi knew he was kinda strange, but he was also male. He liked asserting himself through physical means, especially since he wasn't the most intelligent individual (although he wasn't stupid either). Hand to hand was what he was raised by, and after learning knife fighting and an assortment of other street fighting styles, sometimes he liked to know just how good he was.

But he wouldn't try anything on Kaiba if he wasn't interested.

"Getting hit by someone doesn't even hurt that much, really. Unless it's to the face, because that never feels good, but the abdomen? Nah. It takes a lot to actually do anything really. I've never truly gotten hurt outside of bruised ribs and a cut lip."

"You mean like…training, then?"

Kaiba used to train frequently with Isono. He was the only employee Kaiba had who was so unbelievably well trained that he could floor him in six seconds—even after months of practice. The pain and soreness afterward had been almost gratifying, if only because he knew it was a sign that his body was becoming stronger.

Isono was nearly forty now, though, and while he was still willing to help Kaiba train, it felt wrong asking him to tax his body further. If Jonouchi didn't want to have a real all-out brawl…maybe he'd be able to get stronger while doing more heavy training someone who was just as strong (if not stronger) than he was.

"I wouldn't mind rough-housing or grappling. I thought you meant a real fight."

"Yes, like training. I never got formal training in anything, except like kendo at school. But nothing really fancy, just because I can't really afford it right now. Honda used to take classes, because his parents were pretty middle class and I think his dad was a police officer. Ha, I used to be so jealous of him."

It was also why Honda often won fights against Jou, when the blond wasn't playing dirty. His friend was larger than him, and stronger, and never really taught Jou anything. Which wasn't really right, since Jonouchi needed those skills to protect himself; he was often stalked while walking home.

"One of these days I'm going to learn, though. I want to."

"I'll probably regret it," Kaiba offered hesitantly, resting his elbows on the bar, "But I got years of experience training with Isono. I'm most experienced in mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu jitsu, but I always favored capoeira. I don't think that'd be for you, though…"

He wasn't trying to be insulting. Capoeira was better suited to a slender body type. Jonouchi was extremely fit, but was sturdier. His muscles were larger, chest broader. Capoeira involved a lot of flips, handstands, and the like. Kaiba loved fighting around an opponent, performing a complicated 'dance' while he waited for an opening.

"I have some kendo training too. I think we could gain a lot from training together."

"Why wouldn't I like capoeira? I've never even heard of it before. I guess if we did get into a fight, you'd probably win. Unless I cheated of course, but I don't think you'd appreciate that too much…"

He was sure if he tried something funny, Kaiba would get back at him for it. The prospect of that was a little scary, since the other man would go to great lengths to make a point, and Jonouchi wasn't foolish enough to think about starting something that could potentially go too far. He wasn't as clever as his companion, nor was he as quick. There was also a disadvantage when it came to intellect, and although Jonouchi wasn't stupid, Kaiba was far too smart for his own good.

And vindictive.

"Because I've already done kendo before. It's okay I guess, but it would be fun to do something different. You should have seen Yugi trying to do it though, it was hilarious. He can't fight to save his life, and neither could Ryou when I think about it. Both of them really sucked at it."

Kaiba snorted and tried not to laugh when he imagined Ryou and Yugi getting whooped in kendo, and once he'd recovered his composure he cleared his throat.

"I wouldn't appreciate cheating in training battle. I'd probably try to take revenge for it, in fact, so it's best you avoid ball kicking or dirt throwing. As for capoeira…it's Brazillian. It's my favorite martial art, seconded by Brazillian jiu jitsu—which is much more practical. With that technique, you can take down anyone in seconds. Their size and strength doesn't matter.

Capoeira involves a lot of hand and head standing. It's like break dancing except you kick ass while doing it."

He had a tendency to enjoy showing off, and if he could do it while beating someone in a fight, he wasn't going to complain.

"So why can't I learn that then? I want to know how to defend myself better, since I tend to get my ass beat when I'm up against multiple people. I'm tired of that happening, and yeah, I can take a few punches and I won't complain, but sometimes when it's like five guys… too much."

His attention diverted from fighting as they came to the top of the Ferris wheel. Looking out over his shoulder, he saw the entire city next to the water, looking dazzling under the night sky. It was one of those rare images people saw only when they had a chance to be clear of everything, and unable to stop himself from smiling, he leaned over to get a better view.

"I don't think I've ever been up this high before… Except on your blimp."

Not that it really counted, since he wasn't very aware of how far up they were while riding it. The blimp floated in air, and being so huge, it was like a massive ship at sea. He became unaware of where he was and it wasn't until he watched other people's duels and saw the railing that he truly understood they were airborne.

"Wouldn't it be something if this thing just broke and we were stuck up here for hours? Hahaha…"

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi again, this time in disbelief.

"Why do you say things like that?" He groaned, crossing his arms on the rail and resting his face in them. He couldn't even think about being trapped up here. Maybe if he was with his brother, or a…lover, it would be bearable. But stuck in close proximity at the top of a Ferris wheel with Jonouchi?

Jonouchi wasn't an unbearable person, but the situation would be awkward so fast…

"What would we even do to keep ourselves busy? You'd go stir crazy and I'd get agitated."

"Uh… I don't know. Maybe we could just talk? I've only just started getting to know you and there's got to be a ton of things you haven't told me about yourself yet. Yeah, I know a lot of it is private, but still. If you wouldn't talk to me, hell, I would talk. It's better than feeling stuck."

Smirking, he crossed his own arms and leaned down against the rail, meeting Kaiba's eyes. "And I say things like that because I know it'll freak you out."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes, nostrils flaring, and his lip curled back as he resisted his first impulse—which was to tell Jonouchi off. Then he reconsidered. Jonouchi had learned and adapted to get under his skin, rather than just relying on his big mouth to eventually blurt something that would bother him.

"Well played," he growled before staring down at the lights, sulking. "I guess talking wouldn't be bad, if we both actually answered questions rather than deflecting them with anger."

It was true that he'd noticed Jonouchi doing it, but he'd done it as well. He could admit that now. Maybe Jonouchi's relatively flippant demeanor was rubbing off on him, making him more able to accept his mistakes and move on.

He certainly hoped so.

"Fine, then ask away. I've got nothing to hide from you, even if you don't believe that."

Jonouchi didn't move from his spot, face changing from a smirk to a smile. As easy going as always, he didn't get offended by Kaiba's more aggressive nature and let the more hostile tone of his companion roll of his shoulders. His comment had been well executed, and he knew that the man didn't like being messed with. But if he wanted to hang out Jou, he'd have to get used to it.

"And look on the bright side, I'm not moving this thing around. I'm trying to be as still as possible, and you have no idea how hard that is for me. I hate staying still. I want to move my foot so badly right now… ugh. It's aggravating."

"You could always tap your fingers on the bar or something," Kaiba suggested a little grumpily. He wasn't sure if he should take up Jonouchi's challenge, or mention the fact that he'd certainly acted as if he had something to hide, but he dropped it. That was then. This was now. He had to keep looking ahead…

"You've been with girls before," Kaiba immediately slapped himself mentally for picking possibly the most touchy subject he could, "How far did it go? You seem beaten up about someone."

When there was a pause after his question, he actually grew nervous, fearing that despite Jonouchi's confident words, he'd managed to jeopardize what they had going.

"If it's too personal, I understand."

"No, I'll tell you."

Sighing, he turned around to face in front of him, not wanting to look Kaiba in the eyes as he told his great tale of woe. Really, it wasn't that bad, but Jonouchi was still broken up about it, if only because he felt betrayed. It was a normal reaction to a first love that he'd eventually get over as soon as someone else replaced it, but for now it still felt fresh and new.

"I never had sex with anyone. Not that it wasn't offered or anything, but I decided it wasn't really what I wanted. Or how I wanted it. Don't tell anyone about it, but I don't feel right giving up myself to something like that when the other person doesn't care like I do.

And…she didn't. We met up again in California, and although we were dating I guess for a while, she broke up and said she just wanted to be friends. That her career was too important and she didn't have enough time for me anymore, nor did she want to give up dating other men, but… she had no problem with sleeping with me.

I couldn't do it. Not like that."

Kaiba huffed, staring at the beacon at the center of Domino that was Kaiba Corporation.

"And you thought I was strange for wanting to wait for the right person," Kaiba mused, "It sounds to me like you think there's something more, too. An average young man would have been perfectly happy to get some pussy and move on to the next conquest."

He leaned back in his seat, shifting his gaze to what he knew was his dark office window.

"When I told you I'd never been with anyone, sexually, that was true. It isn't that I haven't tried. When I was a little younger, I thought it wouldn't be that big a deal to get on with an ex-secretary of mine. She'd resigned to work another job somewhere and I ran into her by chance.

We had dinner a few times, and that was about all it took for her to realize I wasn't who she'd apparently convinced herself I was. I never heard from her again, and it bothered me for a long time."

He sighed, scowling slightly at the memory. Honestly, he wished people would get disillusioned before trying to date him.

"I decided to give up being 'available' when one of my other secretaries got a little too much of a crush on me and…drugged my coffee. When security broke down my office doors I was tied up in the floor, unconscious, and she was trying to undress me."

"I'm… surprised that you got drugged by one of your secretaries. I didn't think you'd be the type to go after your employees, I thought there were laws against that sort of thing." Snorting, Jonouchi rolled his eyes before continuing, "So I guess it's a good thing that didn't exactly work out.

And if you're wondering about how far I got, I've done things. Tried things. Just didn't get far enough to actually penetrate anyone. Which is fine, because the other stuff was great and I don't regret doing or getting any of it."

He didn't find giving oral sex to a woman or doing a hand job to be all that personal. It wasn't like Jonouchi would go around doing it to strangers, but there was no real joining, so for him, the whole act just meant far less to him.

"And if you remember, you were getting into this whole romantic speech about love, going on about myths and crap. me It's not like that. I'm not that much of a romantic. I just didn't want to lose it to a woman who didn't care about anymore. It was too… hurtful. For me, it just hit too close to home, so I gave it up.

Why are you so curious about my sex life?"

"Uh-" Kaiba wasn't quite sure what to say in answer to that question, and chose another subject to tackle first. "To be clear, I didn't flirt with my secretary, but she never acted as if she was interested, so I didn't feel the need to remind her about workplace policies continually, as I did most of my employees. That was a mistake I'll never make again.

As for my interest in your sex life…I don't know. You were vague before, and I assumed you had more experience than me, so I wondered if I could learn anything about that from you. At least, so far as whether or not it's worth the pursuit."

From the way things sounded, he actually had more experience. The isolated incidents he'd highlighted for Jonouchi were just minor examples. In reality, he'd done a lot more (failed) small-scale chases for casual sex when he was still an older teen, and not always with females. He was fairly certain that Jonouchi didn't need to know that, at least not now. And if he was ready to know about that, then it wouldn't matter if he found out later.

"I suppose I did come on strongly about my ideas regarding romance. I uphold a very definite belief that there is a 'right person'. Genes and population statistics dictate that at least one person in the world must be the ideal match for another. Finding them—or discovering who they are—is the complicated part."

"I guess now you know then."

Jonouchi didn't want to comment on that last part, about everyone having an ideal match somewhere. It didn't seem possible and it made him depressed. How was he supposed to find that perfect person in a sea of billions in one lifetime? It didn't sound like anything one person could manage without a test or something, and flattening his arms more across the bar, he ended up bumping elbows with Kaiba.

"I tried a few times in high school to get with some girls I knew, but it didn't work out. Hell, I even tried Anzu for a short period of time, but she got sick of me and called out my shit more times than I would have liked. She was a bit too… uppity for me, so yeah. That didn't work out too well."

Kaiba was silent as he listened to this assessment of Anzu, his lips pinching, before he spoke.

"That sounds exactly like me, though," he noted, quirking an eyebrow. Either Jonouchi saw him differently than that despite saying he bitched like a girl, or he just didn't care as much anymore. An evil little thought entered his mind, one upon which he felt the need to act before it slipped away.

"Are you saying you don't think we're compatible, Jonouchi? That's very disappointing to hear."

"Yeah well, you're not a girl. If you were female, things would be different. So no, we're not compatible, and I don't even now why you'd be disappointed in that. Hmph."

He became very irritated after that, knowing full well that his companion was picking on him. And since they were trapped up on the Ferris wheel still, Jonouchi couldn't do much about it. Sure, he could make the thing swing around, but he wanted to be alive by the time they reached the ground again, so instead of acting out, he just sulked even more and began drumming his finger tips.

"I don't like you."

Kaiba wasn't expecting quite this response to his teasing, and he was hurt more than he probably should have been. Of course, he always covered up feelings like that with haughtiness and apathy, so he simply stuck his nose in the air, crossed his arms, and looked out the side of their seat.

"Yeah? Well, neither does anyone else. Aren't you a special snowflake."

He shifted, letting his legs lean so his knees touched again. He'd been less uncomfortable touching Jonouchi than before, but now he didn't want to make any physical contact.

Much as he was sulking, though, and trying to maintain a stiff posture to show it, he couldn't help but be lulled a little by the rhythm of Jonouchi's fingertips drumming. Perhaps the motion seemed erratic, but Kaiba heard a pattern that kept perfect time despite the fact that it was just a stir-crazy 'twitch'.

"Kaiba, I'm bored."

He wasn't actually serious about not liking the guy, but it came out of his mouth too fast for him to retract his statement. Frowning and trying to appear as pathetic as possible, he looked up at his sulking companion and decided to keep his eyes on him if in case he could get him to lighten up again.

"We should play a game."

Kaiba stared down at Jonouchi through the corners of his eyes, trying his very hardest not to be lured by the puppy eyes that stared back. He wondered in a fleeting panic if Mokuba had given away the secret that this particular expression got him whatever he wanted as a kid. Then he realized Mokuba wouldn't do something so needlessly cruel.

"What game could we possibly play up here?" He asked, trying to sound snide, but to his own ears he sounded as hesitant and somewhat uncomfortable as he felt. He could only hope it wasn't showing in his body language. While he was usually in conscious control of things like that, he was currently being taken by surprise.

"I don't know, something. Anything. I'm bored and have half a mind to just climb out of this thing and make it to ground that way. Sounds more fun that going around this thing in circles all night."

He didn't know many games that didn't need actual objects involved. Staring still at Kaiba, he hoped maybe the other man knew some, but Jonouchi doubted it. Why would someone so anti-social know anything that could curb their boredom? Sighing, Jonouchi figured he would just be stuck until the seat finally got back down again.

"And I lied about not liking you. Chill out."

Kaiba turned toward his companion, not completely back to his usual state, but still sated enough to have a conversation.

"All the 'games' I know that we could play up here involve song, or rhythm at the very least."

He felt like a moron for bringing it up. Just because he was emotionally stunted didn't mean Jonouchi was. They were both grown men, and sitting on a Ferris wheel using their hands as instruments or reciting syncopated rhymes would probably come off as being completely moronic to Jonouchi. Suddenly, a brilliant (and possibly terrible) idea came to him, and a wide, impish smirk spread across his face.

"Do you know how to play 'Gay Chicken'?"

"Gay chicken? No, what's that? Never heard of it."

His face lit up a little, now that Kaiba didn't look so pissed at him. He hated it when people were angry at him, and anything with the word chicken in it couldn't be that bad. Besides the fact Jonouchi loved games like truth or dare, trying weird ass things to prove his machismo. Any excuse to puff out his chest was a good one, and completely unaware of what he was agreeing to, he nodded his head.

"But I'll play. What are the rules?"

He didn't play enough attention to Kaiba's creepy ass grin.

"It's a Western game," Kaiba explained, forcing his face to become serious again, "I rest my hands on your shoulders, and you do the same to me. We bring our heads closer and closer together, and the first person to back out loses."

He decided to take his explanation step-by-step, seeing how long it would take Jonouchi to figure out just what the game was about and how he would react when he did.

"What's the point to that, wouldn't we just end up bumping heads? I don't get it."

Giving Kaiba a confused look, he hoped the man would give further clarification. Sometimes things just made no sense to him, like this "western" game, and not quite figuring out where the "gay" part of chicken came into it, he sighed again from boredom.

"We'll just end up giving each other headaches. And you'll start bitching again."

Kaiba felt a little cruel for enjoying this so much, but he continued regardless.

"We'll probably bump foreheads at some point. The idea of the game is to see who will give up before we're close enough to…kiss."

He felt his flare for theatrics rearing its head again. Jonouchi, were he in his place, would probably have explained everything in a very straightforward fashion. Kaiba, on the other hand, enjoyed testing and toying.

"Oh hell, you can't be serious…"

Jonouchi face felt flushed and messing with his hair out of embarrassment, he realized he couldn't exactly back out of it now. He already said he'd play it and if he didn't, Kaiba would give him hell for it. There was no way he would let that jerk play him like that, so swallowing his pride and hoping his companion would freak out like he did in the fun house, the blond nodded his head.

"Sure. I guess I'll play."

Kaiba couldn't help but chuckle, but he stopped himself short. He didn't want to make Jonouchi think he was ridiculing him, necessarily. He just found the entire situation amusing. While he hadn't expected Jonouchi to agree, he was interested by the current situation. He was looking forward to finding out just where Jonouchi's limit was.

Especially since he knew his own.

"All right," he announced, placing his hands on Jonouchi's shoulders (more like his trapezius, but still) slowly so he wouldn't shock him, "Place your hands on my shoulders."

Jonouchi almost wanted to say, "do I have to", but not wanting to come off as anything but a man, he bit his lip and did was he was told. Hopefully no one was looking, because that would have made it far worse. No one would know about this little game if he could help it (and he didn't think Kaiba would tell anyone), so even though he was reluctant to let Kaiba have his way, he did.

Touching the other man, he couldn't believe how broad his shoulders were. Although Kaiba wasn't as bulky as Jonouchi was (which was purely genetics), he was lean, and with his hands on his body, he could feel muscle underneath. It made him slightly nervous.

"And now?"

"Lean closer," Kaiba stated simply, doing so himself. He cheated a little bit, getting a firm grip on Jonouchi's shoulders and pulling a little to get him moving.

Speaking of cheating, he wondered if maybe he had an unfair advantage, being not-so-straight, but he disregarded that thought. Yes, Jonouchi was attractive, but he had self-control. He didn't want to kiss him before, and he still didn't. Hell, getting close as he was, he felt growing discomfort, but he knew he wasn't going to back out.

Jonouchi felt so stupid and awkward having Kaiba pulling him closer because he couldn't get his brain to work with his body. Looking slightly out towards the city from the corner of his eyes, he asked himself multiple times why he was subjecting himself to this game. Why he cared so much about his pride because he was afraid Kaiba would pick on him for chickening out.

"I am, stop pulling me."

Frowning, he did as he was told, getting close enough to the other male's face that he could smell the takoyaki he had earlier for dinner. There was also that subtle hint of cologne on him, something Jonouchi couldn't quite name, but it smelled good. It had to be the same stuff as the night before…

What was he thinking?

Kaiba eased up, not wanting to move too quickly himself. He felt his face heating, and he forced himself to regain control before he broke into a genuine blush. He leaned slowly closer to Jonouchi, and he felt his bangs getting mussed as they connected with the blonde ones in front of him. Then their foreheads touched.

"Are you nervous yet?" Kaiba purred, though he was actually deflecting his own rising hesitation. He wasn't uncomfortable for himself so much as he was worried that he was making Jonouchi do something that would be…upsetting.

"Do I look nervous?"

Because he was. And although Jonouchi kept on doing what Kaiba told him, he was trying to keep his brave face on… and was failing. It was hard to pretend that their little game was having no effect on him, his face growing warmer by the second. Kaiba's tone of voice didn't help either, how silky it sounded, and he resisted the urge to turn his face away. Instead, forcing himself to continue the game, he got even closer, just a few inches away from the man's mouth.

"You do," Kaiba lied. Jonouchi looked more focused than anything. "And I wondered if it's because you know I'm about to kiss you."

And he was. They couldn't get much closer. He pressed his nose against Jonouchi's cheek. Their upper lips were touching now, and he parted them, exhaling deeply.

The other man snorted at Kaiba's comment indifferently, but before he could say anything back, he found the man's mouth on his. And although it didn't feel bad like he thought it would, it was strange. Mostly because it was Kaiba of all people, but the fact that he was a man was unsettling as well.

But his smell and how he felt lulled Jonouchi into going along with it, not resisting when he felt Kaiba working to part his mouth for reasons he knew weren't exactly… socially acceptable. If anyone saw them doing this, Jonouchi would die. Right there on the spot. Especially when he felt a tongue flicker against his lips.

Kaiba finally went through with his motion, realizing that Jonouchi wasn't going to change his mind. Their lips connected in earnest, and he couldn't help but feel a tingle. He closed his eyes, because frankly, it seemed inappropriate to be feeling anything like arousal while kissing someone he knew didn't sit that side of the fence.

It seemed like their lips were connected for a long time, and Kaiba had a feeling he was being more enthusiastic than he should be about this. The contact felt good. He admitted he liked kissing. A lot. But this was Jonouchi.

He couldn't seem to back out, though, and he hoped something would happen to snap him out of it soon.

Jonouchi refused to lose to this game just because of the awkward flip flop feelings he was having in his gut. Being kissed by Kaiba reminded him of riding a roller coaster, how the drops and rises fucked with his insides, making him too nervous sometimes to scream, even though he really wanted to. It was a rush, and although he told himself it wasn't right to be enjoying it, he couldn't help it.

It had been a long time since anyone touched him.

Even when he felt his companion's tongue in his mouth, stroking against his own, he didn't break. He wouldn't let himself do it. If anything, he grabbed onto Kaiba's shoulders tighter and leaned back slightly, no longer using the bar for support.

Then a thought occurred to him to try touching Kaiba's hair.

But he didn't.

Kaiba felt guilty for being so engaged. Jonouchi's grip tightening on his shoulders made lightning shoot through him. He wished he'd would pull away, because he was realizing more and more that he was enjoying the contact from more than a competitive perspective. Jonouchi had soft, warm lips that tickled his and made his face heat.

He grabbed Jonouchi's blonde hair, unable to resist the temptation (so long as he was stuck here) and simultaneously hoping it would make the other man uncomfortable enough to break away.

What did it mean when a queer man beat his straight friend at Gay Chicken, anyway? Was that a real victory? And was it bad that he wasn't sure he wanted to stop? He didn't like these questions.

While Jonouchi didn't like having his hair grabbed. He pulled away just enough to have their lips apart, despite their faces still being close. Mouth still slightly open and a confused look on his face, he wiped his lips with the back of his hand before his brain even thought of forming words.

"… You grabbed my hair."

Finally, he chickened out. That sort of display of affection wasn't something he was comfortable with, Kaiba's fingers making his scalp tingle in sensations he enjoyed far too much, and not wanting it to go somewhere he couldn't turn back from, the blond had to stop him. For his own sake.

Looking at Kaiba's eyes still too, he didn't exactly pull away as much as he should have. He could still feel the man's breath on his face, the tip of his nose and his cheek; and too stupid to move away, Jonouchi waited for an answer.

"…I wanted to see if you would back out," Kaiba half-lied, letting go of Jonouchi's hair but still refusing to move. He couldn't help the fact that he wanted to kiss Jonouchi again. He liked physical contact as much as the next person! It didn't mean anything. He had self-control…

"And it seems you have."

"Yeah well, I didn't think the rules included that sort of thing…"

Which was slightly true, because Kaiba was very ambiguous about what it was they had to do. But he wasn't mad, even if he felt very awkward and his face was burning up. He thought he managed the whole thing very well, even if Kaiba won, in Jonouchi's opinion, by cheating.

Hair touching was too personal. It was a kink he didn't like people knowing about, and brushing it back with his hand, he sighed again before pulling away and sitting back into his seat.

"You win. Again."

Kaiba sat back in his own seat, crossing his arms so they wouldn't start twitching, and trying to control his breath.

"Well, I cheated a little. And I had an advantage."

Certainly, the fact that he wasn't nearly as averted to kissing another man had played in his favor. That, and the fact that he'd enjoyed it (much as he tried to deny it to himself). Now, he was regretting his decision to play the game at all. He'd all ready been confronted with the fact that he found Jonouchi personally attractive, not just an attractive person. Now he was starting to feel attracted to Jonouchi, which was very, very bad.

They were halfway down the Ferris wheel now, and Kaiba looked forward to being able to put a little distance between them. The seat was small and their legs were still touching—not the most preferable thing just now.

As they were going down, Jonouchi's confused look turned into a sour expression, and he no longer felt shy as his face turned red from anger. How the hell did Kaiba cheat at something like kissing? Well, besides pulling at his hair, which kind of ruined things. He didn't want someone doing that, because usually with Jonouchi it led to doing other things.

"What do you mean you cheated, Kaiba? I thought this was just a game. How can a person cheat at this?"

He got in Kaiba's face, their lack of personal space in his favor. It wasn't like the other man could get away, and becoming flustered, Jonouchi poked a finger hard into Kaiba's chest accusingly.

"What did you do?"

Kaiba stretched his head away from Jonouchi, trying to get some distance and failing.

"I didn't tell you many details about the game," he explained cautiously, "And I surprised you by grabbing your hair."

It felt like cheating, to him. It had been dishonest. And it was maybe kind of cheating that he wasn't straight. But that fell more under 'advantage' than 'cheating'.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt like some kind of molester.

"And your advantage? Because I can't see how there was one."

Jonouchi wasn't cooling off just yet, but most of his anger had died away. Kaiba was competitive, and convincing himself that was the reason for the hair grabbing, it made sense in his head. The other man wanted to break his cool, which he did. And win, which he also did. Really, Jonouchi couldn't get too mad about that, when he should have thought of doing that himself.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure I've kissed more than you have."

Kaiba didn't want to rattle off the shameful list of people he'd surreptitiously stolen kisses with in the past (especially what with some of them being male), so he left that topic alone despite his instinct to compete.

"My advantage was that I'm-"

He cut off, paling slightly as he realized he'd made a major error. His advantage was his lack of heterosexuality. He couldn't tell Jonouchi that—great Caesar's ghost, he couldn't tell him that right now especially.

"-skilled," he finished without too much of a pause. Hopefully Jonouchi wasn't attentive enough to realize he'd evaded saying something else. His luck held that such wouldn't be the case, but he could always insist. He was a stubborn man.

"No you're not."

Sulking, Jonouchi exhaled a ton of air and leaned against the seat. He didn't want to discuss the game any longer. Or say anything really, until they were back on ground. Not because he was mad at the game, but because of Kaiba's flippant attitude over it.

He could also sense that the man was lying to him, but maybe Jonouchi really didn't want to know. Maybe it was best not to ask questions. He gripped the bar in front of him tightly and waited for the seat to reach ground level.

When they touched ground and were allowed to leave the box, Kaiba breathed a deep sigh of relief. He'd fortunately managed to evade questioning, though Jonouchi seemed frustrated with him about something. He hoped he wasn't angry about the game, or troubled by it, but he felt that asking would just piss him off.

"Do you still want dessert?" He asked, changing topics and hoping that staying objective would help relive his mind of thoughts about having just kissed the person he was with. The festival had emptied out considerably, and Kaiba was tired. Nearly shitting a brick in the funhouse and subsequently dealing with a moral (and sexual) dilemma on the Ferris wheel was making the thought of sleeping in a soft hotel bed very appealing.

"Not really. I just really want to get some sleep right now. Let's catch a cab and get a hotel room before I just pass out somewhere…"

Which sounded pretty nice to Jonouchi, although not quite too safe. Avoiding eye contact, he headed towards the exit of the festival, until they reached the main street. Leaning against a lamp post, he started taking out his cigarettes, but then thought against it, instead taking another deep sigh and waiting for a car to come pick them up.

"Where exactly are we going to stay?"

Kaiba gazed out at the city street, finding that his eyes felt dry. He was more tired than he'd thought, but he'd had a full day…

"My hotel," he replied, "I already own it, so if I stay there I don't have to pay. We can get anything we want there for free. I don't know about you, but I'm having alcohol and sugar."

He wanted the alcohol for nerves, and the sugar for pleasure. He figured it would relax him and cheer him up after being run ragged and thrown for a loop all evening. Hell, at this point, he was half-tempted to have a smoke himself, but he brushed the thought from his mind. He didn't want to start that path.

"Oh I forgot, you own half of the city. How convenient."

Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi waved down a taxi and got in. He assumed Kaiba could cover it, since they generally were so damn expensive and he didn't have the money to afford something like that. Especially when he didn't know how far away the hotel was.

Thankfully that was the case. Relaxing against leather seats, he closed his eyes as he heard Kaiba give directions, turning his face toward the window. Opening them again, he looked at the city. There were still crowds of people going by, despite the time, and smiling at the sight of it, Jonouchi finally relaxed again.

"I hope your hotel is close, or I might pass out right here and you'll have to carry me inside. Heh."

"Hmph. If you don't mind being carried bridal-style," Kaiba muttered, "And I don't 'own' half the city. I do have investments in some places. This hotel happens to be Hotel Kaiba, however. I built it. That's why it's mine."

He honestly wasn't sure how Jonouchi hadn't known that, but whatever. They were only a few blocks away now, and his mind was rapidly travelling away from their awkward Ferris wheel kissing and toward the comfortable hotel suite and room service he would inevitably order. He could all ready see the building from where they were, so he readied his wallet to pay the taxi driver.

"I know you don't own half the city. At least not literally. I'm not stupid."

Slightly annoyed again, he was all too happy to get out of the cab, feeling free once more outside. It was unbelievably hot again, despite it being night, but Jonouchi was expecting to enjoy the air condition Kaiba's hotel had to have had.

And following the man, he watched to see how this whole thing would work. If they weren't paying to get a room, that meant his inclusion would surely have to be explained, and standing behind Kaiba's shoulder, he waited to figure out just what the other man was planning on doing that night.

Drinking a little didn't sound too bad. Especially with cigarettes.


	7. Chapter 7

Kaiba led the way into the lobby, where the receptionist immediately recognized him and bowed. Then she noted his companion, but he didn't bother explaining himself. It wasn't her place to ask, and if she decided to call the press about it (gods help her if she did) there would be no evidence. He simply led the way through the lobby to the nearest elevator. He pressed the up arrow on the metal panel and waited for the lift to arrive.

Jonouchi seemed a bit antsy, possibly because he felt uncomfortable in such a high-end hotel, or maybe because he wasn't sure they wouldn't get in trouble for going to his personal suite together. He didn't care. In all honesty, the press was so busy blaming him for terrorism and secret weapons manufacturing that a 'gay scandal' probably wasn't even on their agenda.

And, one upside of being out of the professional gaming league was that he was out of sight and out of mind. Less a celebrity, and more an elite.

The elevator arrived, and he stepped inside; once Jonouchi had cleared the doors, he pressed the button for his suite. A square panel opened above the numbered buttons, and he took the retinal scan required to access the room at the top of the hotel. Maybe it was paranoid of him to require such high security, but anyone could learn a code or steal a passkey.

And that room was his. When he went there, he expected not to be invaded or attacked.

Watching curiously, Jonouchi couldn't believe how much security Kaiba placed into his own hotel room, which he probably didn't even use all that often. Why would he, when his own house was just outside of town? Snorting indifferently, he watched and waited, tapping his foot incessantly until the doors finally opened onto the top floor.

And what he saw there was startling. The entire suite was modern, with glass walls to look out of the city from. Despite having mild vertigo, he was enthralled by the surroundings and rushed out of the elevator to see the bay, which was not too far away. Looking out he could also see the naval ships close by, all waiting in the harbor, and Domino Pier, which often shot off fire works.

"This is the nicest place I've ever been in," he half said to himself, not quite sure if Kaiba had left the elevator or not.

Being a penthouse suite, there was also a full range of utilities, like a kitchen (although he doubted Kaiba ever cooked), and an amazing entertainment center that appeared more like a mini movie theater than anything else. Jonouchi couldn't help wandering around, even if Kaiba hated having people in his personal space, and after appeasing his curiosity, he turned back toward his companion.

"So… where's the bedrooms?"

Kaiba had watched Jonouchi wander about, and was pleasantly surprised to find that he didn't feel completely violated by it. Not that he had any right to, considering they'd just made out less than half an hour ago, but that wasn't a good thought for the present.

"To the left," he replied, pointing past the kitchen. There was a door in the wall that way, beyond a seating area that was intended for quiet reading, unlike the main part of the room with the large couches and chairs that intended for use with the large television that was mounted on the wall.

He had one of his gaming systems here, so he could play in peace after long days of conferences, but he hadn't been here in quite some time. The only people allowed in here in his absence were two maids, who seemed to have done a good job keeping the place tidy, fortunately.

"Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I'm going to order an alcoholic smoothie," he announced bluntly, feeling that there was no point in lying since Jonouchi would find out anyway. "Do you want anything to drink? I'm probably going to have a bottle of something brought up as well. Perhaps rum or vodka."

"Vodka."

Drinking sounded delightful. A chance to forget what he had done on the Ferris wheel, and how he felt while doing it. It wasn't a responsible thing to do, Jonouchi knew that better than anyone else, but hey, he wasn't perfect. Sometimes forgetting was better than feeling awkward and weird, so shaking his head, he repeated himself more confidently.

"Bring a bottle of Smirnoff or something, with chasers."

And looking for a balcony, he hoped there was somewhere he could smoke around the place. Going all the way down stairs wouldn't work, especially if Kaiba had to come along to get them back up to the room. God knew he wouldn't let Jonouchi smoke inside, not that the blond would even think of doing that, since it would make everything stink.

His head was messing with him. Taking a seat on the couch, he blew the air out of his lungs and looked behind him, watching the back of Kaiba's head. He had such wide shoulders. Wider than his own, although less muscular and masculine. Kaiba had the body of a cat almost, sleek and lean, but not girly in the least. Jou was almost envious of him.

Unaware of his companion's gaze, Kaiba ordered his smoothie as well as the Smirnoff Jonouchi had requested. Just for grins, he ordered some Patron to go with it, but if he didn't get to that tonight, he wouldn't complain. He noticed that Jonouchi seemed a little edgy, or dissatisfied somehow, and joined him on the couch.

"You want to smoke or something?" He asked, "There's a place up here where you can do it. I think I'll take a couple of hits too. It isn't something I especially like doing, but I prefer to smoke before drinking."

He found that Jonouchi's habit didn't bother him as much anymore. Maybe because he'd realized that it wasn't his business to disapprove in the first place, or because Jonouchi had proven that he wasn't the scumbag type of smoker that Kaiba had come to expect. He could abide vices—he certainly had his own, and used to have more—and so long as there was no smoke in his face, he could refrain from bitching about it.

"Yeah, I do."

And getting up from the couch, Jonouchi looked at Kaiba to lead the way. Thankfully he was just as motivated to go outside, so going down one of the hallways, they eventually went up a winding case of stairs that led to the rood of the building, where there was patio furniture set up and a beautifully well kept pool.

"I really like this view."

Although he hated heights. Jonouchi forced himself to walk over to the ledge, leaning against the railing before taking out a stick for himself, handing one to Kaiba once he had his in his mouth. Then with the lighter, he lit Kaiba's first and then his own, slightly surprised that the man who warned of "impending death" was actually going to join him for once.

The hypocrite.

"I can see your company from here," Jonouchi pointed out while exhaling a mouthful of smoke, "It's strange how I see it all over. This is why I said that remark about owning half the city. Sometimes it feels like it, I can't escape your influences no matter where I go in Domino."

Kaiba stared at the cigarette. He hadn't actually meant for Jonouchi to light him one. He snuffed out the cigarette on the rail and flicked it into the night before digging into his pocket for his own silver case. He popped it open, revealing his hand-rolled smokes, and used a lighter of his own to start one smouldering.

"I try to keep a lot of influence," he admitted, pocketing his case, "This city used to be a really kind of awful place. I managed to improve things by changing just one company. I built the hospital and this hotel to establish more services and presence, and I'm still trying to continue improving things. But there are only so many real estate investments I can make without being a 'monopoly'."

He'd once tried to buy out some ghetto apartments in the interest of reducing crime in the area. He'd ended up slapped in the face with some legal nonsense and received calls from people who deemed it unimportant for him to know their names. Until he had enough power, even he wouldn't be able to take on the Yakuza. Not with the press so eager to take him down a peg.

He exhaled thick white smoke, and then took another long drag, trying to finish the short 'cigarette' quickly so he could get back inside to the air conditioning and relax.

Jonouchi didn't appreciate watching his cigarette get flicked off the building, wasted, but he said nothing. His face told it all, his expression growing a bit irritated before cooling back down again, deciding not to take offense to Kaiba's more spoiled tastes. He didn't see the point in smoking something so damn expensive, but that wasn't his problem.

"I remember the awful times. The city was a pit. People never came here unless it was for business, and we all know how shady that shit was here. Besides the fish market, a few factories, and Kaiba Corp, there isn't anything here."

He took another drag, looking back at the glowing KC sign. It was still muggy outside, and he hated it. Jonouchi really wanted to go back indoors, but since he couldn't and the desire to finish another cigarette came over him, he placed down his first one on a table before turning around, lifting off his shirt in a desperate attempt to cool off.

"I'm glad you took over, even if the media hates you. No one takes that shit seriously anyways."

Kaiba side-eyed Jonouchi, appreciating what he'd said but highly distracted by his shirtlessness. It was too off for him right now. They'd just shared a kiss about which he'd felt more than platonic, and he was still struggling with that. He didn't want to be attracted to Jonouchi. They were just friends, right? He didn't want to ruin it with…well, sexual arousal, frankly.

He tried to play off his discomfort by snuffing his smoke. He'd taken the two hits he'd wanted. Knowing that any more would probably leave him in a state, he flicked the remainder off the top of the building. Jonouchi seemed to be lighting a second smoke. That was…not good. Now he'd be stuck up here, in the heat, with a shirtless Jonouchi.

"People take more stock in the tabloids than you'd think," Kaiba stated, choosing to distract himself with conversation, "I've had a couple of rallies that were held outside my doors in opposition to what people had read about me in rag mags. My investors are smart enough to know that isn't a big deal, so it's not a danger to the company, per se. It's just…"

Just what? Hurtful, he supposed. He'd done more good for Domino in four years than the government could have done in four decades. He knew not to take stock in the tabloids and rallies and conspiracy theories, but it still hurt him just a little to have such a response from the people.

"Hard? I can understand that. I mean after all you've done, I'd be pretty upset about it if I was you. It's not fair that they demonize you, but that's what smaller people do. They find something that makes them feel inferior and pick at it to see if it will far apart under pressure. Or, in some cases, the press are just trying to make a name for themselves, so they go after the biggest power in town. I'd try not to take it personally."

Jonouchi was oblivious to Kaiba's sexual issues, staring out at the pier that laid several miles away. It was amazing, being able to watch the ships in the water with their lights on, along side the giant American naval vessels that sometimes passed by while making rounds to Yokusaka. Sometimes Jonouchi wished he'd try being out at sea. The freedom of it all…

But that wasn't going to happen. Sighing, he flicked the edge of his cigarette and looked back at Kaiba, not quite tired enough to sleep, but not fully awake anymore either. He gazed up at the man's face and tried to figure out what he was doing there, staying with someone he had hated just two days ago. What was going on?

And he had kissed him, which was stupid. It was also awkward, so turning back around, he forced himself to finish off his cigarette, not wanting to be in the muggy night air for any longer than he had to.

Kaiba had rolled his shoulders back, finding that the hot air was starting to have an effect on him. It wouldn't, if it weren't for the fact that he was mentally uncomfortable, but he couldn't do much about it. The thought came to him to take off his shirt, but he felt it was risky somehow. Dammit, why was everything strange all of a sudden?

He stared at the ocean while Jonouchi took longer drags on his cigarette. He seemed to be trying to finish it more quickly, which was fine. The sooner they could get inside to air conditioning, and he could let the waitress with their alcohol serve it up, the better.

He looked more forward to the beverages than he had before. Now it was more because he wanted to relax. The couple of hits he'd taken were also intended for that purpose, but unfortunately, smoking tended to make him more thoughtful than usual. The alcohol would fix that.

Looking back at Kaiba again, Jonouchi was starting to feel a bit awkward. Mostly because after that kiss on the Ferris wheel, things got a little strange. He didn't feel as care free with Kaiba, and notably, the other male wasn't talking as easily to him as before. Although he couldn't figure out just why that was going on, he hoped it would go away like nothing had happened after more time.

It wasn't like it had meant anything. Sure, kissing felt good, but that was about it. Snorting, he figured it really didn't matter if it was a woman or man, since his eyes were always closed while doing it and by feeling alone, a person couldn't exactly tell the difference. So he couldn't blame himself for liking it, Jonouchi reasoning with himself that it had nothing to do with his own sexuality. He didn't like Kaiba like that. Nor could he ever.

"I'm almost done."

Finally finishing off his last drag, he tossed the wasted cigarette off the building and walked over to the patio table to put his shirt back on. He didn't want Kaiba thinking he was some Jap trash who liked running around half naked all the time, and the penthouse already had air conditioning. Being shirtless would just make him cold after a while.

Nodding, Kaiba felt more comfortable with actually looking Jonouchi in the face now that his chest wasn't exposed. He led the way back to the main room, and he saw that the small screen on the security keypad beside the door was flashing. One of the hotel staff was evidently waiting in the elevator to be let up, and he felt a little guilty for not thinking to come back sooner. Heaven knew how long that person had been waiting.

"Looks like the drinks are here," Kaiba announced, punching in the code and letting the elevator up. The employee delivering their drinks seemed a little disgruntled, but Kaiba gave him a large tip as a gesture of apology, which cheered him up.

Setting the tray of alcoholic beverages on the kitchen counter, he grabbed his smoothie and immediately started slurping. He didn't care what anyone thought; strawberry was the best fruit. Period. He could all ready feel the alcohol hitting him, too. He saw Jonouchi reaching toward the drinks, and spoke on impulse.

"Don't smoke after you start," he warned, "There's a rule of thumb—smoke before you drink, and you won't drink too much. Drink before you smoke, and you'll choke and die."

That rule was especially true with substances like cannabis involved, but he didn't mention it.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Jonouchi rolled his eyes while grabbing two shot glasses, pouring one with vodka and the other with the patron tequila that often fucked him up better than anything else. It wasn't a good idea to submit to his vices, but what the hell, he hadn't done so in a long time. Anzu and Yugi refused to let him drink in high school, despite Jonouchi's past personal aversion towards it, so lifting it up to the air, he swallowed the whole glass before setting it down.

And the shit burned. He forgot how much he hated drinking vodka, and grabbing a can of pop, he tried drinking down the taste away. It was bitter and hard, going through this throat raw in such a way he almost wanted to gag, but he stopped himself. Instead, he just shook his head several times before grabbing the tequila, looking at Kaiba and toasting him before taking that down as well.

It went down a little bit easier, but Jonouchi couldn't describe the feeling as being pleasant. Sometimes he just liked torturing himself, drinking hard alcohol that he really didn't care for but refusing to try the more tame drinks because they were too "girly".

"So Kaiba, since when did you start smoking?"

His head was fuzzy and his vision felt weird, but Jonouchi still felt fine. For now.

Kaiba downed a glass of vodka before responding. He didn't really want to get into that.

"I've tried a lot of things," he admitted, "Smoking was part of that. I never binged or went clubbing, but I had some experiences in my home."

His throat tingled from the stinging vodka, and he downed some of his smoothie to soothe it.

"I don't really smoke anything habitually. Never did. But I figured since we're making a night of it, I'd be a bit more wild."

He didn't want to decrease Jonouchi's opinion of him by talking about all the things he'd done. Some of them were the very reason he'd had enough of a wake-up call to start changing himself, but that didn't make them any more socially acceptable.

"Yeah, but why do you do it?"

Kaiba didn't answer his question. Rolling his eyes, he went for another glass of patron, pouring the liqour out before taking another shot, the burn not tasting nearly as bad as the first time. Or second. Thankfully the alcohol was working and the pain was starting to go away, although Jonouchi had a unbelievably high threshold for it.

Besides that, the blond had done many things in high school than along the same lines. Pot wasn't even the tip of the iceberg of drugs Jonouchi had tried, many of them either being designer or medications he fooled around with while out jumping people. He couldn't remember all the things he'd done while high, or who he did it with, but he did know he no longer liked the feeling. The loss of control he felt was a bit too much.

Kaiba rotated his smoothie, staring at it. He didn't want to admit that he'd been weak enough to try hiding from his problems. He'd been smart about his drug use, doing so only on the occasional weekend and then in his home. He'd given it all up—except perhaps marijuana, on occasion—but he'd been flying pretty high before. Acid, DMT, and eventually a thumbprint had changed his perspective and essentially removed his desire to escape using psychedelics.

He finished the strawberry-and-rum drink he was slurping and downed a glass of the Patron before taking a seat. He found that he was suddenly grinning uncontrollably, likely a combination of being relaxed by his smoke and stimulated by the alcohol. He faced Jonouchi, giggling a little bit in spite of himself.

"Come sit over here," he offered, "It's more comfortable."

Raising a brow, Jonouchi snorted. Honestly, he didn't know if he wanted to. Kaiba was acting all sorts of weird, and by the vibes he was getting, well… He didn't know about getting close to the other guy again, but not wanting to insult him, he decided to do it anyways.

"I don't see how this is any more comfortable than standing," said Jonouchi, avoiding Kaiba's eyes, "Unless you aren't able to stand up."

Which he wasn't sure was the case yet, but wouldn't have doubted it. He was feeling a little out of it, tripping over his own feet more than usual. It had been a long time since he really drank, and after going through two shots of patron and vodka, the blond was starting to feel it.

"I never took you for a drinking guy, Kaiba."

"It's not really a habit," Kaiba defended at first, then reconsidered. "Actually, that's a complete lie. I have at least one beer every week. I think that makes me an alcoholic."

He couldn't stop smiling, except for a very few seconds at a time. He was definitely buzzed, at least, and relaxed as he was, he couldn't force himself to make a straight face.

"I found out after a while that I needed some kind of vice," his smile faltered at last, which was good since his face was beginning to hurt from the exercise, "I was losing my mind without having some form of relief."

He didn't think that was a good excuse, but he could only handle so much weight on his shoulders. He certainly thought the alcohol was more harmless than other things he'd done.

To Jonouchi, it was very interesting. So Kaiba was an alcoholic. He wasn't sure what to think of that, since he generally hated excessive drinking due to his up bringing. His father was in a constant state of drunkenness, and after being attacked so many times by the old man as a child and having his money stolen as a teenager, well, he had very little tolerance for that sort of thing.

But right now, he couldn't help but find Kaiba's current state amusing. He had a dumb smile on his face, something Jonouchi had never seen before, and thankfully was keeping to his side of the couch. A little wary after the whole kissing episode an hour ago, he didn't want to put himself in a weird situation again.

"It's a sign of depression to be drinking alone like that," said Jonouchi rather quitely, "And I'm sure there's other ways of relief you could get into, if you really need it that badly. Besides, over drinking makes people fat."

"Well, I'm depressed," Kaiba stated, but talking made a smile spread across his face again. "I'm in a state of depression like everybody else. It's something I have to deal with. And I avoid weight gain by exercising and dieting."

He still remembered Jonouchi's comment on how he was concerned about his weight despite being so slender. With his drinking habits, he could gain easily—hell, he was prone to begin with, and the alcohol didn't help. Food was never really much of a big deal for him, so it was easy to forgo that for the sake of having some relief.

"I don't get this buzzed usually," he noted, his face finally relaxing again, "I don't get drunk easily, and it's taken a lot of alcohol so far to get me this far. It probably wouldn't even be this extreme if I hadn't…smoked."

"Why exactly are you depressed? I'm not depressed," said Jonouchi, becoming very interested in the conversation, "Despite the road bumps. You'd think I'd be all bent out of shape and whatnot, but I'm actually pretty content."

What did Kaiba smoke? He didn't ever think anyone could get that loopy over a single cigarette of all things. Curious, he started staring at Kaiba's pockets before looking back at the man's face suspiciously.

"What exactly did you smoke? You're acting strange…"

Kaiba sobered slightly, feeling strangely like a child whose misbehavior had just been discovered.

"It was hand-rolled, remember?" He stated, trying to avoid the actual question by answering something that hadn't been asked. He stood and walked to the kitchen, grabbed a full-size glass, and poured vodka into it until it was half-full. He had a feeling he'd need that drink.

Returning to the couch with glass in hand, he curled his knees close to him, shoeless feet resting on the leather couch. He wasn't usually this casual around people, but curling up made him feel protected, and at least he could use the excuse that there was alcohol in his system.

Despite feeling that he was in a sticky situation, he couldn't stop chuckling periodically at how funny it somehow was, covering his eyes with one hand when he did so. If he was going to get into an argument with Jonouchi, at least he'd be in a really good mood.

Jonouchi had been too distracted to realize that Kaiba was smoking a joint. Sure, he knew the smell well enough, having done it plenty of times before, but he couldn't believe that Seto Kaiba of all people would be into that sort of thing. Something that was usually for middle class college students and idiots like himself when still in high school.

"No… You smoke pot? Of all people, I would have never guessed that."

Laughing out loud, he snatched a bit of Kaiba's vodka drink before curling up next to him, not quite sober enough to realize that maybe getting close wasn't such a good idea. Turning his head, he could certainly smell the plant on the man's breath, although it was light.

"Where did you get it from? And why didn't you offer me any, you asshole?"

"I have good connections," Kaiba grinned, both amused and greatly relieved that Jonouchi wasn't angry (or disappointed). "Despite the high level of opposition I face, most people I meet become loyal to me. One of my security force had his paws on some. I pay him to share."

One of his most trusted security guards, in fact, but he didn't want to give names.

"I used to take harder things," he admitted, having a flash of soberness and realizing that Jonouchi was remarkably close to him. As in, they were touching. He felt his gut clench, and tried to force himself not to focus on the contact.

"When I was eighteen, I started in on psychedelics. Acid, MDMA, DMT, eventually LSD…tripping was something I eventually realized I didn't like for the high so much as…how it made my brain work."

It wasn't until he'd had about the hardest he could achieve—the thumbprint—that something clicked in his head and he decided to do the hard thing: facing his problems. As opposed to beating them lifeless. Of course, it was after that point that he actually became depressed. Certainly, blaming others for things was easier on his psyche.

Maybe it was the mildly-psychedelic effects of marijuana, but somehow, Jonouchi's hair kept drawing his attention. Their close proximity and the fact that the golden blonde locks seemed almost like silk as they reflected the light made him have to work very hard not to start stroking Jonouchi's head.

"I think the worst I've ever really done was cocaine, and that was once. Never again, it caused too many problems in my life…" said Jonouchi, grabbing Kaiba's smoothie this time instead of the harder stuff, "And I'm sure it's one of the reasons why my mother won't talk to me anymore. Or ever let me see my sister."

He really wanted to wallow in self-pity, but he tried not to. Instead, frowning, he took Kaiba's drink and placed the straw in his mouth, sipping slowly as his eyes got wide with worry. Why didn't he ever try to amend things with his mother? It wasn't like he didn't know where she lived.

But it was probably too late for that, and turning his attention back to Kaiba, he drew up his knees and leaned against the couch, sitting cross-legged. The alcohol was getting to him, making him smile; his past inhibitions slowly melted away as he forgot about the kiss they had shared before.

"Hard drugs though, huh… They must have been a hell of a lot better than the crap I used to get into. That shit was low grade, and I know that because I used to sell it. Probably why I gave it up too, since it didn't always give me the best of trips."

And he became friends with Honda. The police officer's son. He had to give it up.

"You should have shared one with me, Kaiba."

"Next time," Kaiba promised, "I don't want you to have one now. Like I said: drink and then smoke, and you'll choke and die. Yes, the drugs I had were high quality—I wasn't going to take shit. Hell, I got my acid from one of the four 'families' who make it. Directly."

He wondered about Jonouchi's face when he mentioned his mother, and he decided to investigate. He was smiling slightly, as he was himself, but there had been real sadness in his eyes.

"What happened with your mother?" Kaiba asked, knowing he was being too personal but not caring enough due to being high-ish and pretty tipsy. "I always wondered why you didn't see Kawai Shizuka more often."

"She remarried and refuses to talk to me. I made too many bad choices as a teenager, so she decided to just give up on me. Now we no longer talk, not since Battle City. It didn't make a difference to her that I got the money for Shizuka's eye operation. Not a difference…"

And it hurt. He couldn't really get over the loss of being abandoned, for what felt like years even before his mother ran off back home to Tokyo. By the time Jonouchi's father started drinking and shit was going down, the woman decided to pick her favorite and that was Shizuka. Probably because she didn't look like their father, while Jonouchi had all of his features.

"It doesn't help either that my parents split on really bad terms. Dad's an alcoholic. I dabbled in drugs. I guess she just gave up on us because she couldn't handle it. Or she didn't care enough about us to even try. I don't know…"

If it hadn't been for the liquor, Jonouchi never would have told Kaiba all of that.

Kaiba stared at his nearly-eliminated vodka glass and suddenly felt very depressed. He had thought that Jonouchi and his sister at least got to talk to each other. They'd seemed very close the last time they'd been together, despite time and distance, and the idea that they'd been cut off…

"You should find a way to get in touch with your sister, at least," Kaiba insisted, still stubbornly ignoring how thrilled his body was at his close proximity to his friend. The alcohol was really getting to him, or something. That was it.

"Your mother too. You should at least try. She may have problems, but…but she could be gone someday. So could Shizuka. You should…try to hold on to those relationships."

He felt like he was lecturing, but he couldn't just sit quietly by when he knew Jonouchi was estranged from his family. Hell, maybe getting back in touch with his mother could improve his living situation. Kaiba finished his drink and set the glass on the nearby coffee table before meeting Jonouchi's eyes.

He'd never really paid much attention to Jonouchi's eyes before. He knew they were hazel, but he hadn't really noticed just how much depth they held, or how piercing they could be despite their warmth. He seemed unfocused, but perceptive.

A little voice in his head told him to stop staring, but he was too drunk to care yet.

"It's kinda hard when Mom kept hanging up whenever I called. And now, I'm not so sure how Shizuka feels about me. She didn't know about my drug use before, and I don't want to disappoint her by telling. She used to look up to me, you know…"

He was getting slightly emotional thinking about it, curling up more into himself as he rested his head on his knees. Emotionally tipsy, Jonouchi wasn't aware of Kaiba's staring, or really much of anything besides his own messed up feelings. There wasn't too many times he opened up about his family, and feeling extremely hurt about it, he couldn't stop himself from going on.

"I never told her about what I did in high school. Beating up people to rob them money, selling drugs to kids on the street, all that good stuff… Hell, I've been arrested some four or five times, I can't even count. Broke my arm once too, but that was because of my dad, not anything I did with the guys…"

"I wish I could get my family back, but I'm as good as dead to my parents. So, what would be the point of being rejected any further?"

And looking into Kaiba's eyes, he tried to find an answer.

Kaiba didn't know what to say to him. He didn't know what assistance he could offer, especially since he only knew the drive-by version of Jonouchi's past. He stared back for a few seconds, not sure whether to offer physical or emotional comfort, if that was even what was being asked of him to begin with…

Eventually, he simply stood, poured two shots of patron at the bar, and brought one to Jonouchi. The other he kept for himself.

"I don't know what to say," he admitted, "It's your battle. But I do know that enough alcohol will make you forget it for a while, so…"

He sat on the couch again, one leg on and one off as he faced his companion, glass raised. He wasn't equipped for situations like this, and somehow, he felt that any attempts on his part to question Jonouchi further would result in more emotional suffering.

"For now, a toast to dead family. Kanpai."

"Kanpai," said Jonouchi half heartedly, swallowing the tequila quickly before choking a little, grabbing the rest of Kaiba's smoothie to make it go down better. He was starting to feel sloppy and stupid, afraid to get up in case he stumbled around the furniture like his father used to do.

"Family is the biggest pain in the ass… It really is."

Then suddenly a strange question flickered in his mind, making Jonouchi's frown turn around into a goofy grin.

"Kaiba, if two people are playing Gay Chicken together and never stop, wouldn't they eventually be having sex with one another?"

He had to think that one over. Jonouchi certainly used logic to come to that conclusion…though how he'd done so while drunk was a mystery.

"If it reaches that point," Kaiba explained slowly, his hazy brain struggling to organize his thoughts into words, "Then either they were gay to begin with, or someone will finally say enough is enough."

He wondered what made Jonouchi want to ask. He adopted a smirk of his own as he thought that over, an idea entering his mind.

"Why do you ask?" He queried, "Are you saying you want a rematch?"

He sincerely doubted such was the case, but making small jabs at Jonouchi was far more comfortable and normal to him than them breaking down into emotional piles of drunkenness.

"I don't like it when you win against me at games, so sure. I won't freak out this time, and you'll have no way to cheat against me."

Or so he thought. Too drunk and confused to think it over too much, he finished the rest of Kaiba's smoothie rather quickly before setting it down, not caring if the man only enjoyed half the drink he had originally ordered just for himself. If he wasn't touching it, surely he didn't want it all that much.

"And you sound pretty eager to play again, Kaiba. I'd have half a mind to think maybe you enjoyed it," he snickered.

The idea did come across his mind, briefly. Before he'd hoped that wasn't the case, but now he really didn't care. Still slightly upset about the conversation before, he wanted physical contact and he wasn't sober enough to shame himself away from males. If Kaiba was the only person around to get it from, then so be it.

He was good looking and smelled like expensive cologne. That was all Jonouchi cared about.

While on the outside, Kaiba simply rested his hands on Jonouchi's shoulders and sat ready to start the 'game', internally he was panicking and on the verge of nausea. Yes, he wanted to play (he really, really wanted to play) but he felt so wrong doing it. This wasn't just him finding another way for them to compete, not this time. He'd been lusting after Jonouchi since the first time they'd done this, and until he convinced his brain it was just a physical response, he didn't want to do it again.

But if he backed down, Jonouchi would assume it meant something. That would be even worse…

If he could control himself, then everything would be fine, right? Jonouchi was all ready moving closer, seeming this time to be entirely confident in himself. While Kaiba found this appealing, it didn't really help him very much. He met Jonouchi inch for inch, moving as he moved and steadily ceasing to care about minor details as he got closer to those warm lips.

This time too Jonouchi wasn't so shy with it. Drunk and too intoxicated to care about his actions, he pressed his lips hard against Kaiba's, hands holding tightly onto his shoulders. A small part of him even enjoyed it as he closed his eyes, tasting the flavors of strawberry and vodka, as well as rum inside the man's mouth. It was different, and enjoying the sensations, he tried for getting him to open his mouth a little.

He'd hate himself in the morning for it, though. Usually Jonouchi made mistakes about who he had beaten up while drunk, not who he was kissing. Sure, sometimes he caught himself staring at other guys far longer than he should have, but it wasn't anything serious. It never really did anything for him.

Well, aside from one time in ninth grade, but he had buried that deep inside his subconscious, unwilling to remember.

Right now all he cared about doing was finding out how far he could go before someone went too far. And this time, no longer embarrassed or surrounded by people, Jonouchi wanted to go for the win.

Kaiba's eyes opened wide when Jonouchi quickly instigated the liplock. After some internal struggling, he eventually decided (possibly poorly) that the most important thing at the moment was the lip contact he had with Jonouchi, and he parted his lips. They both tasted like alcohol, which was an interesting addition, but he was more concerned with how soft and pliable Jonouchi's mouth was.

This time he was purely enjoying himself. His brain allowed him to operate under the delusion that he'd stop before things went to far, but other than that, there was neither dissension nor vindication to be found. He didn't care anymore. He was turned on, surprised by his own eagerness and Jonouchi's less shy approach this time.

Eventually, the grip he had on Jonouchi's shoulders shifted, and he held him in a near-embrace instead, moving closer and improving their contact. Despite the alcohol in his system, everything tingled and crackled as they continued. He was beginning to wonder how far would be 'too far'.

This was much more intense than the shit they were doing on the Ferris wheel.

Relaxing and no longer feeling tense at all, Jonouchi allowed himself to be latched onto, not resisting Kaiba's embrace. Sure, in the back of his drunken mind he knew that it wasn't a good idea to be doing what he was doing, and he certainly shouldn't be enjoying it, but it had been a long time. He hadn't done anything like this since Mai.

And Mai wasn't nearly as good a kisser. She could be lazy and hesitant, but Kaiba was eager and aggressive. His lips felt alive, burning against Jonouchi's own mouth, and he didn't come off as coy to him. Kaiba knew what he wanted, and even if Jonouchi was beginning to question what that was, he was too caught up in the moment to care.

So much so, he started leaning back against the couch further, trying to find a more comfortable way to kiss. He didn't like bearing the other man's weight, and resting himself on the arm of the furniture, he wrapped his arms around Kaiba's neck and allowed the tips of his fingers to indulge in dark hair.

It was very soft. No wonder Kaiba was so vain about it.

When Kaiba first felt fingers in his hair, he'd been tempted by instinct to smack them away, but rather than ruffling it condescendingly, Jonouchi seemed to be simply enjoying the texture. Kaiba never gave up the opportunity to have his ego stroked, and somehow, the added contact simply drove him further.

He was starting to get anxious, however. His body was heating, and he felt like there was a lightning storm in his groin. If they continued at this rate, it might become obvious very soon that he wasn't just competing.

Recalling the last time, he got one of his own hands in Jonouchi's hair, using the other to brace himself against the couch so he wouldn't end up lying on top of the other man. The less heat and pressure against his lower body, the better.

He'd be lying if he claimed he wasn't enjoying it. His mind entertained a fantasy of simply letting their drunken adventure reach its conclusion, but he brushed the thought away. That would be wrong. It would be even more wrong than what he was all ready doing. So no, he wouldn't be going that far.

He didn't even know if he could, when it came to it. With other people he'd tried to hook up with, once things got heated he'd backed out. It was different with Jonouchi, possibly because the alcohol. He hoped it was the alcohol, because otherwise, it would be a terrible sign that this felt like more than something uncomfortable or casual.

Jonouchi had a lot of pressure on his back from the arm of the couch, but he didn't care. He wanted the contact, not shying away from using his entire body to his advantage. Sure, he also wanted to win the game and find Kaiba's weak spot, but a small part of him was enjoying it. Sexually. And ignoring it, he tried to put it at the back of his mind, even if he was just lying to himself.

Although he wasn't rough with Kaiba's hair, Kaiba was rough with his. And not afraid of discomfort in the least, he allowed it to get ruffled up a bit, feeling the other man's hand deep in it, almost massaging his scalp as he continued kissing him. Sure, some people didn't like that sort of treatment, but Jonouchi loved it. He could never get enough of it. Mai had never done it enough, and reaching upwards for more, he didn't shy away from the contact.

Nor did he lay there like a dead fish. He wanted to see how far he could go, before Kaiba would give up. And he would give up eventually. With his free hand, Jonouchi placed it on the other man's chest, until finger tips started undoing the buttons, wanting a feel of what he hadn't seen before. It was hard, trying to do it with his eyes closed, but eventually it opened up, and curious, he held onto a pectoral muscle, palm against a stiff nipple.

It certainly felt different from a girl's chest. Not soft and awkward, but stiff and smooth, not unlike his own body. A body that was being mainly ignored, for whatever reason, and it came to Jonouchi's mind that maybe Kaiba wasn't playing hard enough. That he wasn't trying to win.

"Giving up yet?" Jonouchi mumbled, not breaking away but no longer actively trying to get into Kaiba's mouth.

Jonouchi's taunt held no signs of being a bluff. He was serious, which Kaiba found both terrifying and invigorating. He sure as hell wasn't going to turn down a challenge, and this particular game was one he was fully equipped to win.

He took Jonouchi's lips again, more roughly, and pushed one hand under his shirt. Jonouchi was touching him—feeling up his nipples, even, which were very sensitive—and he didn't have to feel any guilt for matching his actions. If he had to be honest, he'd been wondering (even if subconsciously) what that muscular body felt like, and now he had the chance to find out.

His hand traced the outline of abdominal muscles, then traveled further upward to stroke Jonouchi's well-defined pecs. He had to break the kiss to take a few deep breaths, trying to get control of himself. Jonouchi held his hair so he couldn't move his head much, but because he feared what might happen in his lower body if he continued the kiss, he instead forced Jonouchi to tip his head back and started sucking on his neck.

Being a bit passive for once, Jonouchi didn't fight Kaiba's request, watching the man as his lips went on his skin. It was wet and warm, and if it had been a woman, he surely would have moaned. But since it was a guy and he wasn't going to let himself go like that, inside he just bit his lip and suppressed all pleasure sounding noises, sucking air through his teeth instead when he felt too much.

He was beginning to wonder too if Kaiba was as straight as he thought he was. There was a grin on his face at the request of the game that he couldn't shake off, and knowing how he often stared at him, it was starting to occur to Jonouchi that made there was more going on than their little game.

However, he didn't want to think too much about it. The thought made him uncomfortable and he wanted to be kissed, regardless of who was doing it. Determined not to freak out, he instead started trying to control his breathing, looking down at the brown hair in front of him while massaging the back of the man's neck, wondering how far they'd go.

And who would quit first.

"Tired out, huh?"

Maybe that would spark something more out of Kaiba. Or just piss him off. Either or.

Kaiba froze. This was a turning point, he could tell. Either he was going to go further…or he was going to stop. Because he was all ready sporting half a boner, and he didn't know how far Jonouchi would go, drunk as he was.

Not to mention, if his friend found out just how engaged he was, there would be questions. Difficult questions that frankly, would result in possible rage.

He sat up, staring down at the man below him as he took deep breaths, trying to force himself to pull out in earnest. He knew he'd never be able to live it down, but if he didn't surrender…then he'd lose a lot more than a foolhardy competition.

"Yeah," he responded quietly, backing away to sit on his own side of the couch, "I'm out."

"…. really?"

Confused. That's all Jonouchi felt. He didn't anticipate Kaiba stopping so suddenly, and supporting himself up with an arm, he wiped his lips with a free hand while staring at him. Why did he have to stop? It felt good, and he wanted to see what would happen, if anything would happen…

"Well… I guess I win then, huh? Wanna watch a movie or something?"

Because it would get really awkward if they didn't distract themselves with something else. And right now Jonouchi's mind, despite being drunk, was beginning to mess with him, asking nonsense questions that didn't need answering. Like why he allowed himself to go through with it, why didn't he want it to stop, and how come it all felt better than when he was with a woman he thought he loved?

It didn't make sense.

"…Yeah. A movie sounds fine."

Kaiba was grateful for the change in subject, but he felt strangely hollow. And lonely. Perhaps it was the realization that Jonouchi didn't want him the same way that brought it on. It was his own fault, of course. He shouldn't have allowed himself to lust after him to begin with.

He'd get over it in a couple of days. Of course he would! It wasn't a big deal. He consoled himself with the fact that he'd managed to stop himself before things went too far. Whatever that might have been. He wasn't one for casual sex, but he'd been inches away from going there.

"What do you want to watch?" He asked, feeling strangely sedate. Perhaps his depression was coming over him again—he'd lost the will to do much of anything but lounge on the couch.

"Anything. You can choose, I might just close my eyes and listen."

Because he was that tired. And like a little kid who refused to go to bed on time, he didn't want Kaiba to know. As soon as the make up session stopped and his brain had a chance to catch up with the rest of his body, the weight of alertness was starting to get him down.

But he wouldn't fall asleep, if he could help.

"And I'm really excited about going to the fish market with you tomorrow," said Jonouchi a bit quieter, turning his back so he could lean against Kaiba, not caring about giving or receiving body contact while intoxicated, "I'm sure you'll love it. They have the best seafood there…"

Then, putting his legs over the arm rests and taking a big yawn, he turned to his side and closed his eyes.

Kaiba simply sat stiffly, staring at the blank television screen. Jonouchi seemed to be falling asleep. In his lap. This was just…he couldn't handle this. It was too much. He felt somehow punished.

Then again, maybe until he convinced his intoxicated brain that he didn't want to sleep with his only friend, it would be almost good enough to just be like this. Just…together. They were touching, and that made him a little antsy, but it wasn't like when they were having a hardcore make out session a moment ago—one which he was sure Jonouchi didn't know was a hair's breadth away from turning into an attempt at sex.

He had a lot of questions to ask himself, ones he didn't want to answer. For the moment, he chose to distract himself by stroking Jonouchi's hair. It was soft and strong, and when he didn't receive any opposition to his actions, he continued the repetitive motion. He found that it was making him sleepy.

He snapped his fingers to make the lights in the room shut off. Maybe they wouldn't make it to bed this evening…certainly not at this rate. The television remote was fortunately right beside the couch on a small table, and he flipped it on.

He was too lazy to search for some piece of shit movie, so instead, he selected something he used to watch when he was stoned in his house. It was some Canadian animation from the 90's featuring a young bear and his friends. All the music was classical. There was no drama, no shouting, nothing offensive. Just plain calm. He needed that right now.


	8. Chapter 8

It was early morning when Jonouchi finally woke up, his eyes blurry from the sleep. Looking around, he was surprised to find himself not in a warm bed, but still on the couch from the night before, his head lying on something warm. He was sobered but hung over, and all he wanted to do that moment was go drink a glass of water before trying to find out where Kaiba hid his bathroom.

And looking up, he was surprised to find Kaiba sleeping, his head tucked into his crossed arms which were lying on top of the opposite arm rest of the couch. He looked pretty content, which wasn't surprising considering how high he was the night before. Snorting, Jou felt the desire to wake him up, but he didn't.

Not yet.

He found it strange too that the TV was on American Nick Jr., something he hadn't seen since being in California. There was some show with a blue dog and a man wearing a green striped shirt blaring on the screen, and grumbling, the blond turned it off right before they started singing some song about mail.

What the hell was Kaiba watching the night before?

Getting up, he avoided staring at his companion and scrambled off to the bathroom before he woke up. He didn't want to be seen feeling and looking as crappy as he did, for multiple reasons he wasn't too proud of. That, and his body was working against him, embarrassingly so. He needed a cold shower, and wandering around the hallways of the penthouse, it didn't take too long for him to find one.

Kaiba heard the shower running when he woke up. He didn't open his eyes immediately, hoping that he could go back to sleep, but such was not to be. The white noise of running water was stimulating his brain too much for it to let him sleep, and the warmth of Jonouchi lying against him was gone.

He blinked his eyes open and sat up, supporting his back against the couch arm. His mouth was pretty stale, due to not brushing his teeth. And also all the alcohol and pot. That probably had to do with it. He stood, grumbling a little when he realized his back was sore from sleeping strangely, and took the empty smoothie and shot glasses to the kitchen. He considered washing them himself, but he was simply not awake enough. His body was taking its sweet time waking up today.

Walking in the direction of the bathroom, he decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to brush his teeth while Jonouchi was showering. He really couldn't stand the taste in his mouth, and as long as he didn't look directly at Jonouchi, he would probably be fine.

Which reminded him—just how fine was Jonouchi with what they'd been doing last night? That kiss had been heated beyond just competition, and it didn't seem plausible to him that Jonouchi didn't realize it. He hoped he didn't, but it didn't seem plausible regardless. What if he was angry, or possibly just really uncomfortable?

Then again, if he was truly upset, he probably would have left rather than hopped in the shower. Kaiba entered the bathroom after reaching this conclusion, internally cursing his body for its morning tradition that was currently making his life even more complicated. He really didn't need this happening while he was in a room with a naked Jonouchi. He was finding it hard enough to stop perving over him.

Sighing, he opened a toothbrush that was packaged beneath the sink, and after putting baking soda on the wet bristles, he focused on the act of brushing his teeth.

Hearing the bathroom door open, Jonouchi suddenly became very nervous. He knew it had to just be Kaiba, but still, why was he there? Especially after last night, which was all sorts of awkward, and the blond really didn't want to think about it. There hadn't been enough alcohol to erase the memory from his system, and after subjecting himself to freezing water for five minutes, he turned it back to warm.

Which felt delightful, since his shower at home couldn't match the heat of the hotel's. It was hot, and the showerhead was big enough to get his entire body instead of just his head. The feeling was wonderful, and Jonouchi actually thought about just lying in the tub and falling asleep to it until Kaiba opened the door.

He couldn't make up his mind about what happened the night before. And he knew Kaiba would just play off the entire thing, knowing him. Say that they were just playing a game and it didn't actually mean anything, although Jonouchi thought something about it was… strange. It wasn't purely a dare game. His gut was flopping around too much for it to be that, and not enjoying the feeling at all, he wished the guy would just wait for him to get out before walking in on him.

The pushy part of his personality couldn't not react to it, so pulling back the shower curtain, the wet haired male stuck out his head and scowled.

"You couldn't wait until I was gone to brush your teeth?"

"No," Kaiba replied defiantly, his mouth currently full, "I didn't want to wait. You could always shower more quickly if my presence is bothering you."

The water must have gone warm, because the room was starting to steam up. Kaiba was wary of this, and for a moment he considered rinsing his mouth and leaving, but he felt it would be ridiculous to flee the room at this point.

"Are you uncomfortable with me being here?" He asked, realizing that Jonouchi probably remembered the night before, and feeling a flash of guilt. Maybe he had picked up on the fact that Kaiba was more enthusiastic than he should have been. He almost shuddered at his own recollection of the previous evening, partly because he didn't know how to feel about it and partly because of the remembered arousal.

"No," Jonouchi lied, "Why would I be?"

And not wanting to say anything else, he rinsed off, turned off the shower, very carefully grabbed a towel without exposing himself, and wrapped it around his waist before leaving Kaiba alone to enjoy himself in the bathroom. His shower time was cut down drastically, but he wanted nothing to do with sharing the room naked with a man he just made out with twice the previous evening.

Setting into the hallway, he sighed in anger, realizing he had no clothes. He'd have to ask Kaiba where they were, or get fucked over looking all over the place for some half naked. Both scenarios played horribly in his head, but not wanting to be undressed for any longer than he had to be, Jonouchi sucked it up and reopened the bathroom door.

"Uh… Do you have any extra clothes?" he asked.

Hopefully not clothes that resembled what Kaiba normally wore. His fashion sense was far too up scale and Jonouchi wanted nothing to do with it. If he could get way with it, he'd wear sweats and a hoodie every day, along with his expensive ass sneakers he was always blowing money on.

"Uh," Kaiba consciously attempted to keep his jaw from going slack when he saw Jonouchi's chest again, and he wanted to slap himself for it, honestly, but he couldn't help himself. Jonouchi was attractive. He was a damn attractive man. Thinking that wasn't a problem, right? If he kept acting strangely, it'd just make the situation worse.

"I doubt you want any tight leather pants or button-ups," he remarked, "And I suppose none of my stylish clothes would fit you anyway…"

He rinsed his mouth and toothbrush. He knew he had some casual clothes in the hotel room, he just wasn't sure if they'd fit—or if Jonouchi would even like them.

"I have a grey hooded sweater and some baggy pants. The pants might be long on you—I used to use them for training, so they're comfortable at least. There's a closet in the bedroom. The shirt and pants will be folded on the shelf immediately to your right. If you want an undershirt, feel free to take one. I can't guarantee they'll fit your chest, though."

"Won't fit my chest? Pfft. I'm not that big."

He was glad to get the answers, not wanting to be in that awkward situation any longer than he had to be. Kaiba was acting strange. It didn't make sense to him, but a small part of him knew what was going on and just didn't want to accept it. That maybe Kaiba was different, and not just when it came to intelligence…

Not that Jonouchi had any right to judge. Walking off to the bedroom his friend spoke of, he knew he had some thoughts of his own that he wasn't exactly proud of. Things he didn't like thinking about, especially the night before.

Being with Kaiba for the last few days, he particularly didn't like how easy it was for him to forget about Mai. It wasn't right. How could a man be a better friend and kisser than she was?

Shaking his head, he put those thoughts away again as he reached the bedroom, raiding the closest for said casual clothes. There was a pair of dark jeans, white boxer briefs, a light grey hoodie, and a black undershirt that had his name all over them. Along with the clothes were a pair of socks, and grinning, Jonouchi tried them all on.

And despite what Kaiba said, the shirt fit. They all fit. The pants were a bit long, but Jou was kind of tall himself, so they didn't drag that much. Feeling slightly better about no longer being nude, he went to find a place to smoke.

Kaiba was undressing and preparing to get into the shower. When he'd removed his pants, he pulled his cigarette case from them. He recalled Jonouchi's desire to toke up with him at some point, and entertained a fantasy for a short moment of doing so; not with blunts, though. He'd retrieve his stashed six hundred dollar pipe and smoke up something really good. While he didn't consider being high as a hat particularly a social act, the idea of seeing Jonouchi that happy and relaxed was tempting.

Of course, the night before, Jonouchi had been happy and relaxed (most of the time) due to the alcohol…

He shoved the case back into his pocket, deciding to discard those thoughts for now, then got under the piping hot shower water and let it run over his skin. He closed his eyes, wishing that the water could somehow wash away the images in his brain that had been saved from last night. It seemed as if every time he blinked, he recalled the sight of Jonouchi lying under him, his lips darkened by kisses.

Okay.

He stared at the tile in front of him, trying to maintain control over his breathing. He was attracted to Jonouchi. Very attracted. He shouldn't be, but he definitely was. He had to come to terms with that. If he stayed in denial, then he might excuse himself for doing something like the previous night, and that would just be…wrong.

So he was attracted to his 'friend'. He could deal with that. He just had to…avoid expressing it so much. His body obviously disagreed with him, and he was starting to worry that Jonouchi would start becoming the content of his late-night fantasies, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

He cleaned himself quickly, wishing to be out of the shower as soon as possible, and when he'd finished washing his hair and rinsing, he realized with some disdain that his change of clothes was in the bedroom. Meaning he'd have to walk around in nothing but his towel to retrieve them.

He didn't even bother drying off very well. He simply wrapped his towel around his waist and briskly left the bathroom to cross the penthouse, hoping that Jonouchi wasn't still in the bedroom closet.

Thankfully for Jonouchi, there was a balcony attached to the bedroom, so he didn't have to walk all over looking for the place from the night before. He didn't feel like being so high up, and after grabbing a glass of water, he returned, hearing the shower running close by.

"He must be in now. Hmm."

Glancing at the door, he thought about scaring him, just to catch him off guard like he had, but deciding against it, Jonouchi heading towards the bedroom instead. It was meticulously clean in there, like a human being had never touched it. For the him, it was strange, being in a place that felt more like a show room than living space. Everything just looked too… perfect.

But disregarding that, Jonouchi headed outside. He took out his lighter and lit up a cigarette, putting it into his mouth once the tip was burning amber red. Then smoke started wafting out, and exhaling it all, he watched the light grey fumes disappear in the morning air. The heat was still over bearing, but not quite as bad as it would get later on in the day.

Which was funny, because he knew the fish market would stink from it.

He was almost done when he felt a presence nearby. Turning around, he caught sight of Kaiba, wrapped in a towel, not quite aware yet that Jonouchi was there. And staring rather shamelessly, he had to admit, the man really wasn't that bad on the eyes. Even if it was wrong to think of another male like that, it was true. There was something about him that was attractive, that had to be appreciated regardless of what he normally liked.

Maybe it was his shoulders. Or how his back looked, skin far fairer than his own. Whatever it was, he couldn't quite name it, and dropping his cigarette while ogling, the blond cursed. He wasn't quite done yet.

Kaiba was attempting to stealthily cross the room, listening carefully for Jonouchi. However, he noticed motion through his peripheral vision, and turned to see the other man standing on the balcony just feet away from him. He was staring, looking a little surprised, his cigarette smoldering on the ground.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, and Kaiba almost said something, but he realized he had no idea what he should actually say. So, he simply tightened his grip on his towel and stalked off towards the closet, feeling as if he was being watched the entire way.

That said, he couldn't help but wonder if Jonouchi was simply shocked to see him in nothing but a towel, or if he'd been…admiring. He hadn't looked like it, but still…it was nice to think so. It made him feel less guilty for doing the same (and more) at the very least.

He got to work putting on his boxer-briefs, undershirt, black jeans and short-sleeved button-up. The weather was only getting warmer. At this rate, he'd soon be reduced to nothing but shorts and a tank top. If it got that bad, though, he might have to just stay inside.

Dammit.

How was he supposed to face him now? Taking a deep sigh, Jonouchi smashed his cigarette and left the bedroom, deciding that maybe he needed to talk to Kaiba to clear the air. So they wouldn't think something was going on. Because he knew until he did, at least on his side, he wouldn't be able to stop acting all weird.

And he wanted those strange feelings to go away. What happened while drunk happened because he was…well, drunk. It couldn't have been anything more than that. And telling himself that lie, Jonouchi went into the living room to wait for Kaiba.

They could talk about it on the ride to the fish market. He still wanted to get there before the giant tuna auction ended. It was something he thought even a businessman like Kaiba could appreciate, and taking a seat on the couch again, the blond anxiously awaited his presence. He couldn't help but continuously twitch his foot, looking over his shoulder in hopes that his new companion would return and they could get going.

Kaiba had to ensure that his clothes were on straight and that his hair was dry before he left the closet, his towel discarded in a clothing hamper. Jonouchi was no longer on the balcony, and for a horrible moment, Kaiba thought he was gone. Then he looked into the living room and saw him waiting.

He approached, not sure if he should speak or not; then he realized he was avoiding the issue, and being not like Kaiba Seto at all. He strengthened his gait and stiffened his chin so he wouldn't look so much like a kicked dog, and addressed Jonouchi.

"Good morning," he hailed, "Since I didn't really give you a proper greeting earlier."

Nervousness threatened to break out of the pit of his stomach and constrict his throat, but he controlled himself. One of them was going to have to stop walking on eggshells. He knew Jonouchi well enough to realize he'd say something if he was upset. He knew that. Why was he working so hard to predict his actions when he all ready knew the only conclusion was that Jonouchi was planning to stick around?

…At least, he was for the moment.

"Uh… Right."

Getting up, he made sure his wallet was in his pants and collected his clothes into a bag, not wanting to leave them behind. Hopefully after the market he'd return back home; he didn't want to impose his presence on Kaiba any longer. The man would probably want his privacy back, especially since Jonouchi knew he had the habit of clinging tightly onto his friends.

"You wanna get going now? The fish market isn't too far away and I want to see the tuna auction before it ends. I know you'll like it."

Heading towards the elevator door, he waited for Kaiba to join him. That was the whole point of staying over, to make it downtown on time since Jonouchi's apartment was too far away. Smiling easily, he hoped the man would enjoy the trip. He certainly would, the few times he'd gone as a kid with Shizuka were highly memorable.

"They'll have food for breakfast there too."

Breakfast sounded…very good. He was extremely hungry. He hadn't had anything to eat after smoking the night before, and his munchies were getting to him. He could ignore it, but food would make him more comfortable.

"Let's get going, then," he joined Jonouchi in the elevator. As they descended, he considered the idea of the tuna auction. His immediate desire was to enter the fray—he could certainly afford it—but what would he do with a dead giant tuna? He didn't need to compete over everything.

"So will we go to the auction, and then get some of the fresh new sushi for breakfast?"

"If that's what you want to do, then sure. I'm game for anything, as long as I'm not paying for taxi, because honestly I can't afford to."

Which Jonouchi found slightly embarrassing. Going outside the hotel, he fretted as Kaiba waved down a cab. It was worse when they were sitting closely together, although Jonouchi tried to keep a respectful distance between them without being too obvious. He still wasn't sure about the whole make out thing and hadn't had a chance to discuss it yet.

Besides, talking about one of his first homosexual experience wasn't exactly appropriate to do in a cab with the driver in earshot. Sure, he could try discussing it in English, but some Japanese knew it very well and he didn't want to risk embarrassment. Besides, his English was terrible...

He could hardly look Kaiba in the face now that they were so damn close.

Kaiba wasn't sure what was happening in Jonouchi's head. He was smiling earlier, despite seeming a little standoffish, but now he was a little awkwardly seated in the corner and completely silent. He must be upset about something—it was the only solution. Kaiba wasn't sure what to say. Jonouchi wouldn't even look at him, which could be a sign of fear, nervousness, or possibly anger.

Honestly, he wished it was anger. At least then he'd have a chance of talking him down.

"How often have you done this?" Kaiba asked, referring to visiting the fish market on auction day. He was making small talk, like a coward, but with the cab driver within earshot he didn't want to discuss anything personal now. There wasn't enough room to cross his legs, so he sat with his knees leaning in one direction. Honestly, the car was far too small. Next time he went anywhere with Jonouchi, he was taking the Hyundai.

Assuming there would be a next time. Right now, Jonouchi seemed distant and troubled, which couldn't be a good sign.

"I think sometime in high school, Yugi and I went with Anzu. It had to be freshman year, because I barely knew those two then. We went around everywhere and of course Anzu freaked out when they cut the fish heads off… So did Yugi a little."

Laughing at the memory, he glanced at the window to see how far they were from reaching their destination. He wanted to get there soon. Being in the stuffy car was nearly unbearable, even if the driver had air conditioning on. He didn't like feeling trapped inside there, his nervous habits messing with him in a bad way.

His foot wouldn't stop moving.

"Oh, and I'm sorry about snapping at you in the bathroom. I was just having a rough morning. I hate hang overs."

"It's fine," Kaiba replied, noting that the rhythm of Jonouchi's foot tapping was more erratic than usual, the beat it followed far less obvious than it normally was. He was worked up. The stuffy cab probably wasn't helping much.

"I've never been hung over. I seem to be immune to that kind of thing. I shouldn't have let us fall asleep without hydrating ourselves and getting into bed, though."

The cab driver was giving them the side-eye from hell through the rearview mirror. Either he was a very paranoid homophobe who was making assumptions, or he thought Kaiba was a massive prick for not taking precautions against hangovers.

Sadly, were the driver making assumptions about what they'd been doing last night, it would be closer to the truth than he likely realized.

"Yeah well it happens. I'm not upset over it or anything, since I could have helped myself a little last night. But I didn't. You were far more gone than I was… So yeah. Don't worry about it."

Sleeping on the couch wasn't so bad anyways. He vaguely remembered hearing soft voices speaking in English, although he was too drunk and tired to figure out what they were saying. The music was soothing, and enjoying the warmth of Kaiba's lap, he couldn't help but pass out asleep.

What was the man watching?

"Besides, I had fun. Haven't really been able to drink in a long time, since I have no one to really do it with. Kinda sucks doing it alone, and I don't like over doing it to the point of blacking out. Reminds me of too many bad things…"

"Drinking alone is bad," Kaiba agreed, "Other things are more personal. They're better alone or with one trusted friend—two, if you're that lucky. I've never blacked out, but I've hallucinated, and that was…not bad or good. It was what it was."

The power of association wasn't part of his activities, though. He'd only ever toked up or snorted or swallowed in his study, with the door locked, and with his chosen music, movies, or television for that particular substance. It had all been private, and never involved any real 'bad' experience…aside from perhaps the fact that he'd thought he was dead for at least three hours when he took the thumbprint.

That had been one hell of a day.

"I'm glad I was too destroyed to figure out a movie to put on," Kaiba mused, "It would have been too much stimulation."

"No. Because apparently you like English speaking children's shows instead."

And chuckling a little at that, he glanced Kaiba's way with a smile on his face before turning back to the window. They were almost there. Soon the third party would be gone and Jonouchi could talk without feeling so damn studied. It would probably make Kaiba feel better too, having less of an audience.

The car stopped right near the market, one block away since the streets were pretty crowded with people. After Kaiba paid the cab driver, Jonouchi grabbed his arm and nearly dragged him across the sidewalk, trying to keep them from losing each other as the mass of people cut through them.

He didn't trust himself enough to not lose Kaiba, since he had to move fast. Whenever there was a destination to go to, Jonouchi couldn't ever slow himself down for others.

"We're almost there. And if we're lucky, we might get to try free samples of that tuna I was talking about earlier."

Kaiba sincerely doubted there would be free samples, seeing as the tuna cost the vendors so much money, but Jonouchi looked so excited about the prospect that he let it go.

He was also distracted with the fact that Jonouchi was maintaining a firm grip on his arm as they powerwalked toward their destination. He detected an emotional impulse at the contact—a deep sense of satisfaction that was quickly discarded and locked away. He didn't know from where that had come, and he certainly didn't want to deal with the dilemma of finding out. Not yet, anyway. Jonouchi was touching him and acting like himself again, so he must have done something right.

They found the site of the auction before they ran across any free samples, so their order of business was dictated for them. Jonouchi seemed to be paying rapt attention, but Kaiba was trying to distance himself from the situation. He had experience with bidding. He had to do it often for company-related things. It was just another game, and being a notorious lover of games and competition, he had a tendency to get very engaged with auctions.

His fingers twitched a little as the energy of the crowd and the noise of bidders reached him, and it took all his willpower not to join in. He didn't even need to! He had no reason to!

Then the price reached the equivalent of one hundred thousand dollars, and one of the consistent bidders faltered, and suddenly his hand was in the air. The auctioneer noted his bid, and Jonouchi stared at him with an expression he didn't much like, but he'd taken the dive. He wasn't turning back now.

What the hell are you doing, Kaiba? thought Jonouchi, staring up at Kaiba wide-eyed as the older man kept his hand in the air, a smug smirk across his face. Why the hell did he feel the need to start bidding for a dead tuna fish? What exactly was he planning to do with it? Either his munchies were more serious than Jou could have ever imagined, or he was acting stupid.

And it was probably stupid. Usually Kaiba was a very smart man, but sometimes his common sense went out the window, and Jonouchi had seen it happen before first hand. Not that he didn't enjoy it back then, but now that he made an emotional investment in being the man's friend, he felt that he needed to step in and say something.

"Kaiba, why are you bidding on a tuna? You can't exactly eat all of it."

It was too big and cumbersome. Obviously the man was showing off, that arrogant streak revealing itself. And even though Jonouchi found it slightly… alluring, of all things, it made no sense for Kaiba to be doing it.

"Do you even have a plan on what you'll do with it, or do you just feel like throwing money around because you can?"

The same questions were running around in Kaiba's head, his desire to be dictated by logic screaming in protest against his impulsiveness. He didn't like the sound of the honest answer—that he'd royally fucked up and was just going to run with it. Certainly, he didn't want Jonouchi to have that impression of him.

On the other hand, saying he was just enjoying the game didn't sound much better. He was trying to decide which option was the least bad, or might be by Jonouchi's standards, and was momentarily distracted when the price rose and he raised his hand a second time out of habit. And competitiveness. He probably should just be honest at this point.

"Admittedly, I didn't think before I acted. Auctions excite me. They're high-risk games. I don't want to back out, though, so I'll have to figure out what to do with our fish after we win it."

There. Honesty. He supposed he owed Jonouchi that much right now. It would be an insult to his intelligence to think he'd fall for some fool lie, anyway.

"It's your money…"

Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi crossed his arms and leaned on his right leg, popping out his hip slightly. He couldn't believe how stupid Kaiba was acting, but whatever. It wasn't his problem. Sure, Jonouchi couldn't even hope to make that much money after three years in his job, but he wouldn't say anything about that. It wasn't like he had any right to complain, since Kaiba busted his ass to get where he was.

But still.

And why did he say, "we"? He didn't remember raising up his own hand to play Kaiba's little betting game.

"But you're ridiculous, just so you know."

"I can't really deny th-" Kaiba cut off when the price was raised again. It had reached almost 200k.

"Games are very, very important to me, Jonouchi," Kaiba commented dryly, partly in ridicule of himself and partly because he knew Jonouchi was well aware of what he meant.

Most of the other bidders had dropped out and were likely waiting for the next item before bidding again. Kaiba was growing bored with the current state of things, as the bidding was between him and only two other people—one of whom seemed to be in it for the fun just as he was. He rolled his eyes and decided not to drag the event out any longer, especially since Jonouchi seemed less than pleased with his impulsive actions.

He instigated a rise in price from 1.95K to 500k, feeling rather self-satisfied when the crowd gathered made sounds of surprise and disbelief.

So he enjoyed entertaining the audience. It wasn't a crime.

Jonouchi felt so strange, standing on the side lines as Kaiba stood there in self admiration, having wasted half a million dollars on a dead fish. It seemed like a giant waste of money, because even if he did sell the damn thing off, it wasn't like he'd make a full return on his investment. Maybe taking him to the auction was a bad idea, because it was supposed to be fun to watch…

Kaiba and his stupid games. Sometimes Jonouchi wondered if it was a type of compensation for something, since the man couldn't stand to lose at anything. It had to be, wasting that much money on impulse.

Money Jonouchi would have killed to have.

"I'm hungry and now we're stuck with this dead thing. Great job, genius," said Jonouchi, giving Kaiba an annoyed look, "Now what?"

"We take it to someone who can actually use it, obviously," Kaiba replied, side-eyeing the man who attempted to hand him the cart with the fish on it. No…he wasn't going to take that. "Pick a place you want to eat, and we'll give it to them."

He honestly didn't know which way was which at the moment, due to the crowds and the fact that he hadn't spent much (any) time in this part of town. He hoped Jonouchi had some idea of a nearby vendor or restaurant that could make use of the fish. His companion seemed irritated, but it was a relief compared to his almost fearful-seeming silence of that morning. He could handle irritated Jonouchi. Irritated Jonouchi would calm down, and then they could move on to the next adventure.

Silent, awkward, not-meeting-anyone's-eyes Jonouchi was a completely different story, and Kaiba didn't like dealing with that in the slightest. That said, he did realize he'd made an ass of himself. It almost felt like his teen years all over again, when riling up an audience and being as over-the-top as possible had been how he made his name. Perhaps, if he was honest with himself, he would have to admit that it was not done out of necessity. He was a show-off at heart. He couldn't help that.

Making a face and sighing, Jonouchi turned and looked around. Outside of the main stalls, there would be many places to go for breakfast. Maybe near the bay they'd find some place, but they couldn't push the huge ass tuna with them. And hell if the blond was going to be the one doing it, because he hated dead animals and wanted nothing to do with touching them.

Or being near them, except while eating.

"I'll have to look around, I don't know any places off the top of my head, unfortunately."

He waited for Kaiba to deal with someone watching the fish, and after rolling his eyes at him again, he took off looking for a place to eat. He was hungry. Rushing through the crowds, he didn't exactly wait for Kaiba to catch up with him, since his stomach was eating itself alive currently and he hated dealing with the pain.

"I still can't believe you did that…"

Finally, there was a small place near the water that looked good. Opening the door, he was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't packed, and taking a table in the far back near the ocean view window, Jonouchi sat down and fumed a little.

Kaiba followed Jonouchi into the restaurant, the seller of the fish he'd bought following closely behind with the cart in tow. He was absolutely not going to wheel that thing around himself. He strode directly into the kitchen, where he presented the fish to the rather shocked proprietor before placing an order for two sushi samplers and some gyoza before joining Jonouchi at his table.

He couldn't help but feel a little refreshed. It had been a long time since he'd been in control of something in such a way. He loved putting expressions of shock on people's faces by doing whatever he pleased. When he thought about it, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing if he what he was doing wasn't on the evil side. He'd certainly been there before.

He crossed his legs and rested one elbow on the table, his chin propped up on his hand. Jonouchi seemed quite irritated with him, but at least it was a distraction from the morning's awkwardness. His ego had inflated enough for him to feel comfortable leading the conversation, and he spoke.

"I hope you're still hungry," he hummed, "I all ready ordered something, but if there's anything else you want, feel free to get it."

"What exactly did you order?"

There was a lot of specialties on the menu, but Jonouchi hoped to try several things at the vendor stalls as they went through the market. He didn't want to eat too much at what looked like an expensive place, even if Kaiba was buying. That wasn't his thing, and he hated feeling like he owed something to other people, especially friends.

"And… thanks for letting me borrow your clothes. I wasn't thinking clearly yesterday, I should have packed a bag. Guess I'm just lucky that your clothes aren't too small, or we'd be having a problem."

The undershirt was slightly too tight, but since Jonouchi threw a sweater over it despite the terribly hot weather, it was fine. He didn't want to look ridiculous in something that would show off just about everything on his body, so choosing discomfort over lack of privacy, he was very careful to stay under the shade.

"Only a couple of sushi samplers and some gyoza. Eat as much or little as you want. As for the clothes…don't worry about it. I have too much clothing and there's a lot of it that I don't even wear anymore. You can keep what you're wearing, if you actually like it."

He hadn't worn those clothes in years. He used to collect hats and hoodies to disguise himself in public, but he'd ceased to care about staying hidden ever since he stepped out of the spotlight. People still recognized him every once in a while, and asked for autographs or just wanted to shake his hand, but it was nowhere near as bad as when he'd practically been a celebrity.

Now he wore whatever he wanted, aside from his more flamboyant outfits. When he didn't mind being recognized, straps and trench coats were fine. But when he wanted to, say, go out on the town with his friend…not so much.

Speaking of his friend…

"Is something on your mind?" He asked, remembering that Jonouchi had been very quiet and subdued up until the excitement in the fish market.

"Nothing I really feel like talking about. But thanks for asking."

He didn't know how to bring up the night before. It wasn't really anything, when he thought about it. Drinking made people do stupid things, and that's all that was. A little game that got too far out of hand. There wasn't anything else to it.

Although, if that was the case, he wouldn't feel so damn awkward around the other man. He could remember clearly what was done and said, and feeling a headache coming on from the thought, Jonouchi tried to push it back. It wasn't something he should have been still thinking about.

"However, I do want to know when you're going to take me to KaibaLand. It's been years, and I'm sure you have some cool new rides that have opened since the last time I was there. We never got to ride a roller coaster, so that would be something."

"Hmm," Kaiba grimaced a little as he listened to Jonouchi lie, his face and body language betraying his words, but he didn't want to push. Hell, he wasn't really in the mood to deal with any more problems than he all ready did, at the moment.

"You seem very fixated on KaibaLand. If you think you have the energy, let's go today. I can get in where and whenever I please. If not today, then tomorrow, I suppose, but I'd prefer not to do it on a workday."

He hadn't visited the park for fun since…ever, really. He supposed he never had taken any time to actually enjoy the place. He had to keep up very strict appearances back then. Not so much now.

"We'll be in the sun quite a lot, though. You may want to consider not wearing your sweater."

"Your shirt doesn't exactly fit. So… I don't really have a choice. Your chest is longer than mine, but I'm pretty sure I'm wider around, because this thing is too snug. It's like wearing tight leather."

Not that he knew anything about wearing leather, but he knew Kaiba did. The Kaiba who used to run around in summer wearing a flashy white coat with straps and crazy black leather pants that gave him a long slim appearance. Not that Jonouchi was ever paying attention to that…

"And I like theme parks. It's the best one in Japan, so I figured you would want to go there instead of trying someplace else. If you don't mind going later today, then yeah. I'd like that a lot."

The thought of Jonouchi in leather clothing was something that didn't need to be in Kaiba's head right now. His own thoughts caused by the previous night were driving him insane.

He sat up properly, fiddling with his hands and forgetting for a while that he was in public with someone else. This was getting way out of hand, at least in his head. Maybe Jonouchi was nervous because of how he was acting, not because of what they did the night before. Or maybe he'd figured out he was attracted to him, or suspected it at least. He couldn't be sure at this point.

Kaiba realized he'd been silent for a few minutes, staring at his hands without seeing them; the real world sometimes tended to fade away for a while when he was thinking.

"Jonouchi," he addressed quietly. He was as confident as he was going to be about bringing this up. "You were acting strangely this morning. Are you upset about last night?"

He didn't want to go into specifics. Either Jonouchi would know what he meant and dodge it, or he'd know and address it. He hoped for the latter. He really didn't want to have to reach the point of announcing that they'd had a hardcore make out session in his private hotel room.

"Upset about last night? Haha, no, it's fine. I mean, I was drunk, and you were all sorts of fucked up, I don't even know. It's not anything. Alcohol makes people do stupid things, right? It didn't mean anything."

Or so he told himself. He was afraid his nervousness was written all across his face, because Kaiba looked very concerned about the whole thing, and anxious. His voice wasn't so loud, and Jonouchi couldn't tell if it was because they were in public, or embarrassment.

What happened before was a two way street, and it wasn't like Jonouchi did anything to Kaiba that Kaiba didn't wanted. Although he was the one to stop first, the blond still wondered why. He didn't seem like he was going to give up while they played, and the thought came over Jou that maybe he was trying something.

And he didn't care.

It was frustrating, trying to play off the whole thing. Why did he allow himself to get into this situation with a friend? And a male friend at that! He never did stupid things with Honda, or Yugi. Nothing like that.

But then again, neither of those males were all that good looking…

"Really, I'm fine."

Either Kaiba had become too good at reading people over the years, or Jonouchi was terrible at hiding his emotions. In his eyes, there was almost an expression of despair, despite the fact that he insisted he was all right and tried to laugh off the question. Kaiba wasn't satisfied with this response. And normally, he'd just let that go. This time, however…this was serious. If Jonouchi was any more troubled about it than he was, then he most definitely wasn't fine.

Kaiba knew what the problem was. He was attracted to men, and Jonouchi in particular, and he unfortunately hadn't realized or admitted that until after they'd been necking on his couch. If it was simply a case of not controlling himself, he could handle that. What plagued his mind was the fact that thinking about the event even now made him wish for a repeat performance.

If Jonouchi was still thinking about last night, even with the excuse of alcohol to let him off the hook, then it might be because he knew about him. He had to clear this up. It was driving him nuts.

"You're lying," he accused, keeping his voice down still, "And I'd rather you didn't. If there's something on your mind, then tell me now."

He realized he was being a little unfair, knowing that he'd likely lie to Jonouchi's face if he was asked about his own feelings regarding the night before, but he couldn't retract his demand.

"Just drop it, Kaiba. I don't want to talk about it."

If Jonouchi was going to be questioned, like hell if he was going to answer. It wasn't exactly the most mature thing to do, but he wasn't always mature to begin with. He just wanted to go on believing that they could be friends and there was nothing more going on between them.

Especially since Kaiba was the man who he had loathed for so many years, and he was still trying to get over that fact. A few good days together wouldn't change four years of bad experiences. It still stung that the man refused to play him when they first met, because he didn't know how to duel just yet. The comment had pissed him off for years, and even now he carried a little resentment.

Kaiba was a snob. A man from a different world than Jonouchi. And it made no difference that he was once a poor orphan, since he never tried to even act humble. Nothing about him came off as kind or understanding, unless he was trying to get something from someone.

And that made Jou a bit nervous.

Kaiba huffed, feeling a little rejected, and he turned his eyes toward a nearby window. That figured. The one time he tried to be sincere…

"It doesn't matter, anyway," he muttered, "It was just a game. Forget I mentioned it."

Maybe he'd never find out how Jonouchi felt about it. He was acting almost bitter, though whether it was about the night before, he didn't know. At least he could keep up the delusion that they'd just been playing. They were just two friends, and one of them just happened to be a teeny bit gay and attracted to the other…

Dammit, he couldn't even pull off denial anymore.

"It's just… You didn't play it like it was just a game. I don't know. Maybe you're the one who isn't telling me something, Kaiba. If there's something I should know about you… Just tell me. I'm not going to get mad or anything."

Maybe the man was bisexual. That was a possibility. And it didn't really bother Jonouchi too much if he liked him, because as far as he was concerned, he was god's gift to the world when it came to looks. Who couldn't like him? Especially with his hair being the way it was.

But the fact that Kaiba didn't even say anything…

Or how awkward he was acting. If he wasn't so quiet about the whole situation, Jonuochi could overlook it better. But the fact that it was personally bothering him made the young man wonder if there was something more going on than just natural attraction.

Kaiba met Jonouchi's eyes, feeling extremely hesitant. He didn't want to admit to anything, because he didn't know how much Jonouchi would accept. He also had a terrible feeling that if he told the other man about his sexuality, everything would go to hell. How would he feel if he knew Kaiba was attracted to him? Or that he'd very nearly tried to have sex with him?

Then again, if he didn't tell Jonouchi soon, he'd figure it out for himself. Maybe he all ready had, to some degree. Kaiba sighed.

"I haven't been completely honest with you," he admitted, staring at the table. He didn't feel comfortable looking Jonouchi in the eye. "I'm not exactly…straight. I didn't think it would matter, until yesterday."


	9. Chapter 9

Jonouchi didn't say anything for a while. Their food arrived, but instead of eating it right away, he stared at Kaiba's face, unsure of how to respond to it. It wasn't like he didn't already know, but still. Why didn't he tell him before? It wasn't like Jou was some bigot.

"Why would you-"

Baffled, Jonouchi didn't know how to ask. It was frustrating, and he felt a little used. Did Kaiba challenge him to those games just in hopes of turning it into something else? Or to get his kicks? The questions in his head bothered him, and narrowing his eyes, he took his chop sticks and ate one pot sticker before trying to speak again.

"Why didn't you tell me that before?"

Kaiba poked at a gyoza dumpling for a few seconds, wondering if Jonouchi was angry about his sexuality, or only because he'd kept it a secret.

"You know how things are. People aren't usually accepting of that sort of thing. I've always had to be secretive."

He felt like he was babbling a little, so he reeled in his thoughts to be more objective.

"I thought you wouldn't want to be around me if you knew. And after our 'game', I started to realize I was a little more attracted to you than I should be. After that, I thought that telling you would make you feel angry. Or violated."

When Jonouchi didn't immediately respond, he met his gaze, his expression serious. Jonouchi would believe whatever he wanted, but he could at least try to state his case.

"It's not like that, I assure you. I was just…inattentive to my own responses. It won't happen again."

"I'm not mad," replied Jonouchi, "Just don't keep secrets like that from me. Especially when doing what we were doing. If I would have known… Kaiba, I get why you didn't tell me. But that wasn't okay.

Don't take it though like I'm not still planning on hanging out with you. Or want to stop being your friend. You just can't act like you're one thing when you're actually something else entirely. Yeah, I feel a little violated over last night, but I'll get over it. Don't guilt yourself over what happened, but don't let it happen again."

Not that Jonouchi was ever planning on playing Gay Chicken again. It was a bad idea, and from the way his stomach was flopping around, he knew that he better start eating before making himself any more worked up. Hopefully Kaiba wouldn't take his speech the wrong way, because he did want to be friends.

But it would be hard. There were things about himself he still didn't understand, and dealing with that news… Well, it just made things even more difficult to sort out in his head.

"When did you know?"

Kaiba blinked, not sure how he could answer. Relieved as he was that Jonouchi wasn't as angry (or anything else, really) as he'd thought he would be, something still felt a little off. After a quick examination, however, he realized it was coming from something internal. He brushed that away. It didn't have any place in the current conversation, anyway.

"I don't know if there was a 'when'," he began. He'd never had anyone to talk to about this. Even Mokuba hadn't really wanted to know any more than necessary about his brother's sex life (reasonable, all things considered). Gozaburo had hardly been a parent, especially from the emotional perspective. So it had always been something he…knew.

"Maybe my mind works strangely. I've read things written about sexuality by just about every demographic, and everything seems to fit into a label. Straight, gay, bi, omni, even asexual. I can't really say I adhere to something so clear-cut."

But what in his life was simple?

"I suppose you could say I'm objective. I consider sexually developed people attractive when I see them. If I run across a person to whom I am specifically attracted, then I will pursue them. Well, with the exception of you, I suppose."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Jonouchi, a little defensive, "I'm not good enough for you, huh? I guess that figures. Some things never change."

And snorting, he took a roll of sushi and dipped it into the green wasabi sauce, too irritated to care about the heat burning in his mouth. He couldn't believe Kaiba sometimes. Sure, he knew the man didn't mean to sound so… bad about it, but he couldn't help but feel very rejected.

Not that he was hoping for anything. That would be ridiculous.

"So basically you're telling me that when you see someone, you either like them or you don't? I guess I can understand that. There is a difference between an ugly man and a not so ugly man. Hell, I know I'm exceptional," he added in, smirking all self-satisfied like, "But still, I don't think I'd want to… you know.

I guess that's the part I don't get. You told me you've never had sex before. But, have you really never had sex, or are you just saying you've never been with a woman?"

Kaiba finished chewing his own dumpling before replying.

"I haven't been with a man, either," he clarified, "Despite what our culture dictates, the fact remains that sex is sex. I wouldn't discount it because it was with someone without a vagina.

I've…messed around. More with men than women, but only because they tend to be more willing. I just never got very far."

Well, he supposed that was in the eye of the beholder. Touching below the belt and oral play would probably be pretty far in someone else's book. Usually by that point, he was all ready deciding he didn't want to follow through, but it had taken some time for him to accept his gut feeling and not try to push it.

The night before, with Jonouchi, had been an exception. Maybe it was because he hadn't masturbated in a while, or because he was too drunk to realize he was uncomfortable. He didn't want to think about the connotations of any other solution.

"By the way," he continued, more quietly, "I never said I didn't think you were good enough to pursue. I just know you aren't interested. And I'm fairly certain that you don't want me to try to seduce you under those conditions."

"Hmm… I don't know about that," joked Jonouchi, "If you paid me what you paid for that dead tuna fish, I'd probably be willing to give it a go. Half a million in American dollars for my virginity, I guess that's pretty fair, don't you think?"

Smiling a goofy grin, he went back to eating, feeling better about the whole situation now that he knew Kaiba wasn't just snubbing him. Although he told himself he wasn't interested, the idea that the other man just stopped the night before because he was turned on was hard to ignore. It felt strange, and putting those thoughts behind him, the blond instead decided to refocus on the food in front of him.

Although it also felt like to him that Kaiba was finally respecting him. After years of being treated like crap, the man was finally seeing him as a fellow human being with feelings instead of some joke to kick around for shits and giggles. And that made a whole difference to Jonouchi, who was pretty sure that Kaiba wouldn't have given a second thought to seducing him if that was what he wanted several years ago.

Which was a scary thought, since the night before he was in a rather vulnerable position, playing their "game" unaware of what was really going on.

Kaiba rarely blushed, but Jonouchi's statement caused one to spread across his cheeks before he could control himself. He supposed it was partly because of the suggestion, but mostly because for a very short moment he had considered it, mental images and all. He'd had the temptation, for a split second, to actually act on the idea.

What was happening to him? He wouldn't trade money for sex. That was too impersonal for him. And he especially wouldn't do that with Jonouchi. Not even years before would he have done that with Jonouchi. He was open-minded about sex workers, but honestly. It seemed too disrespectful.

"Um," he cleared his throat, "I'm afraid that if you want half a million dollars from me, you'll have to get it another way."

It did give him food for thought that Jonouchi really did need the kind of money he would waste on something if he was impulsive beyond reason. Not that it hadn't put him in a slightly good mood—it had been a long while since he'd made a purchase strictly for his entertainment. But something about the fact that Jonouchi busted his ass and lived like he did, was a perfectly decent person, and still couldn't achieve his dreams just…butchered him inside.

"If you want to go to California that badly," he stated, "Then tag along with me next time I go on business."

"Are you sure about that?"

The idea sounded tempting. Sure, he'd be alone with a guy who was apparently lusting after him, but hey, a free trip was a free trip. And since they were still friends and Kaiba wasn't going to jump his ass anytime soon, the idea didn't sound too bad. He'd probably get to stay in a fabulous hotel for once and get to do everything he wanted.

It would be like living a dream.

But nothing came for free. There had to be some sort of catch to that, especially since they didn't know each other that well. Why would Kaiba suddenly become so… friendly with him after so much animosity? It couldn't be from sexual attraction alone.

"And I thought I was good looking. Am I not worth half a million to you? What about a quarter," continued Jonouchi, enjoying Kaiba's flustered appearance, "That should be enough. Real blond, never been touched, I know that's somewhat appealing to you."

Hungry and snickering, he used his chopsticks to grab another roll of sushi, dipping it in the wasabi again before putting it into his mouth. The fish was amazingly good, fresh and tasting of the ocean. It was delicate and moist, with the perfect kind of texture Jonouchi adored, a meal he couldn't usually afford when it came to the fish's quality.

"Besides, I wouldn't offer myself to just anyone. This is a once in a life time chance, Kaiba."

Kaiba actually dropped his chopsticks in surprise and stared at Jonouchi, feelings of terror battling with a strong impulse in his brain that told him to go for it.

"Jonouchi," he warned, his voice lower than usual, "I'm not going to pay you just so I can get a quick lay. That would be completely wrong."

He could control himself. He knew that. But if Jonouchi intended to keep screwing with him, especially in a tone that suggested he wasn't quite joking, then they would have a serious problem.

"I don't even know if I'd go through with it, anyway," he added, feeling a little embarrassed to say so, "I never got far with anyone else before I started to feel like I was doing something I shouldn't. I'll take you to California. That's my offer to you. I'm not going to treat you like a whore."

He could feel that his lips were pouting, but he didn't care. He didn't know if he was being teased, or actually propositioned, or what. But none of those contexts made the words Jonouchi said any easier to handle. He didn't even want to think about Jonouchi being willing to sleep with him. He was too confused to deal with that.

"I was just kidding, chill out."

Snorting in amusement, Jonouchi continued eating, this time going into the pot stickers before stuffing his face with more sushi. It was just all so good. And despite not being the one suffering from the munchies, he couldn't stop himself from digging into it. Luckily for him though, his metabolism didn't ever let him gain any weight.

Well, nothing besides muscle weight.

"On a more serious note, I'd like to go to California with you. I really appreciate you making the offer, and I promise I won't joke about prostituting myself to you if it bothers you that much. I didn't think it would," he lied, trying to hide his smile, "But I'll stop now, okay?"

Smirking at Kaiba again, he continued eating until half the plate was empty. And not wanting to look like a pig, he stopped and ordered some tea to get some liquids into his system. He was still dehydrated and the tea would help, especially for Kaiba. The man needed to relax.

"If you don't mind me asking personal questions, how far have you gone with someone before?"

"Um," Kaiba stuffed a piece of sushi into his mouth to stop himself from having to look Jonouchi in the face. He was a little embarrassed to discuss that, not being the type to brag about sexual romps. He supposed it was fair to ask, though. He was nosy himself and had asked almost the same thing of Jonouchi not long ago.

"With males, I've been as far as giving oral and, uh…fingering. I've also had my mouth and hands below the waist with a woman."

He felt awkward going into details. He doubted Jonouchi wanted the entire picture, anyway. Or, he kind of hoped not. Much as it brought him a certain level of satisfaction to finally have someone to talk to about himself on such a personal way, he wasn't sure just how Jonouchi would react if he knew all the little details.

"You had some dude's dick in your mouth. That's… I'm trying to picture that with you, but I'm having a hard time with it. Probably because you always acted so damn unaffected by anyone for years. Who knew you had some kinks in that head of yours."

He wasn't so interested in getting oral from a man (why did he even think it), but he knew what it felt like. At least, what it felt like with a woman. Only problem was, most women didn't know how exactly to give it right. They did awkward things that made no sense, or just half assed it and then expected a good oral session from it.

Mai was like that at times, and smiling from the memories, Jonouchi couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sure you're very talented with your mouth. If you're anywhere as good with that as you are with dueling, hell… that would be one heck of a blow job."

Then a wicked thought occurred to him, and placing one elbow on the table and setting his chin into his hand, he grinned at Kaiba wolfish like before asking, "Have you ever thought about giving me one?"

Kaiba's eye twitched a little as a mental image conjured itself against his will.

"Well, now I have," he groaned, covering his eyes with one hand and massaging his forehead. He hadn't wanted to think about that. Not that he'd be opposed, but…

"But so long as we're on the subject," he continued, his need to save face overriding his discomfort, "I've had very good feedback on my technique."

Which surprised him, honestly. It wasn't as if it was something he did all the time. He had watched a lot more porn back then, though, and he'd tried to copy what he saw. Obviously it had been effective.

"It sounds as if you like men better than women. That's interesting."

Jonouchi didn't move away from the table, still propped up on top of it and far more closer to Kaiba's face than what would be socially acceptable in public. Not that Jonouchi really cared, since no one was around and usually he didn't give two shits about manners anyways. Usually he did what he pleased, regardless of what society thought.

"Which makes me wonder why, since dick isn't exactly the most beautiful looking thing I've ever seen. Although I've only seen mine, so maybe I'm just selling myself short." He snorted. "Not that I'm inadequate by any means. I just think it's kinda funny that you'd rather have that awkward thing in your mouth than a pussy."

It was in his interest to understand what was going on with Kaiba better. If he should be wrong for being slightly interested, even if he didn't plan on doing anything about it. Homosexuality was inherently wrong. His mother and father had said so, and so did his old friends. Old friends who used to find gay bars outside of town and… well, Jonouchi tried not to think about it too much.

"But I guess that's better than having it up your ass."

"Jonouchi," Kaiba muttered dryly, displeased by both what was said and the fact that Jonouchi was in his face, "Would it kill you to sound a little bit less like a virgin ignoramus? This is a prime example of why I didn't tell you I was queer."

Honestly, something about that chest-thumping kind of talk that straight men engaged in to let everyone know they were straight just made him angry. Especially considering how easy it was to get those types on their knees sucking dick.

"Genitals are genitals. It's ridiculous to hold them to standards of beauty, especially in light of the fact that some people are intersex. I don't prefer men, per se. They're just easier to get into bed.

And I'm not really a dedicated bottom, but 'taking it up the ass' doesn't seem awful to me."

"Well, good for you then."

And not wanting to discuss anything further, Jonouchi left the table and went outside. His excuse to himself for being so rude was the fact that he really needed another cigarette and smoking indoors would probably not be allowed.

In truth, he took offense to Kaiba's comments, finding him extremely arrogant. Sure, Jonouchi was a virgin, but so was the other man. They both had the same sexual experiences, only one had more success with the same gender. It pissed him off being dismissed like that, and taking out a cigarette from its case, he stuck it in his mouth before fumbling for a lighter.

Screw him.

Once he had the little flame going, he burned the tip of his smoke before taking a deep breath, leaning against the building's outside wall as he enjoyed his slow drag. It was soothing, feeling the nicotine course through his body, and getting his fix improved his mood. He thought about going back inside.

Just not until he felt like he made his point.

Jonouchi's abrupt departure made Kaiba realize he'd definitely offended, but his pride forced him to avoid being apologetic. Jonouchi had been acting very flippant, and even ignorant, about his sexuality. It was something he certainly didn't appreciate, seeing as he didn't confide in…well, anyone about that. Ever.

Admittedly, it hurt a little to be spoken to in such a way after being that open. He hated exposing himself. The way it tended to bite him in the ass wasn't something he enjoyed. But he'd have to man up about it, he supposed. Not everyone was out to destroy his soul. Maybe he was taking things too personally.

With that in mind, he popped the last remaining piece of fresh tuna sushi into his mouth and left money for the meal on the table before stepping outside. Jonouchi was leaning against the restaurant, smoking, and Kaiba stood beside him. He clasped his hands behind his back and leaned close to his companion's ear, noting the side-eye he got and deciding to ignore it.

"You know," he purred as Jonouchi exhaled smoke, "You kiss really well for a virgin. I'm jealous of whatever woman gets to have you."

He was probably being too flirty, but hopefully Jonouchi could dish out what he took. Besides, they'd established that he wasn't going to try to bum him, right? Right. So he didn't have to be awkward and afraid to touch the guy, surely.

"You had your chance. It's not my problem you wouldn't take me up for my offer. Would have gotten that and more, but you decided it wasn't right to make me into your whore."

And rolling his eyes, he took one last drag of his cigarette before exhaling it all out, careful this time not to get it in Kaiba's face even if he was asking for it. Apparently he decided it was okay to get in his personal bubble, but whatever. He could deal with that. If he wanted to play games, Jonouchi could play games.

"And no one's going to have me. I'll have them."

Dropping his smoke onto the ground, he snuffed it out with his shoe before grinning up at the man.

"People want me. It's always been that way. I've only chased after one person in my life. And now that I know just how irresistible I am, I doubt I'll ever do it again."

He gave his companion one smug grin before getting off the wall, heading towards the market building to see what the fisherman had on display. Expecting fish, shellfish, oysters, octopus, squid, sea cucumbers, and other amazing things, his hazel eyes started inspecting everything, looking over the displays enthusiastically despite not having any reason to actually buy anything.

Kaiba found Jonouchi's behavior shockingly arrogant, and for a moment he harbored the evil thought that he should have taken up his offer just to teach him a lesson. He immediately realized how sick that was and brushed it out of his mind as he followed Jonouchi through the market.

"You don't like to be chased?" He queried, more curious (and nosy) than anything, though to his ears his tone sounded a little mocking. "I rather enjoy it. Despite having a few poor experiences with it, it's nice to have someone come after me. It's a break from the norm."

That said, he did prefer to be in control. And his relatively good mood faltered a little when he realized that, for all intents and purposes, every person who had ever taken the initiative to have him had tried to harm him in some way.

"Don't act like no-one knows your pain," he remarked, flicking his hair with one hand in a showy way, "Being beautiful has benefits and disadvantages. The disadvantages sometimes include people wanting to sleep with you."

And not always asking first. Sure, he wasn't going to hate someone for flirting with him, but there was a big, fat, glowing line between seduction and attempted rape.

"I don't mind being chased, as long as I get to decide if I want to be released or not. Sometimes it's just fun messing with people that way, pretending that you're interested when you're not and finally letting them down right when they were hoping for something…

Mean, I know. But I'm only human."

Some of the vendors had live fish in tanks. Walking over to one stall, Jonouchi watched as the man grabbed one poor animal, slamming it's body onto the slab before driving a rod into it's brain. It flopped around several times before it went still, and unceremoniously the man striped it of its scales and gutted it right there before putting it in butcher's paper.

It was a little shocking. Although Jonouchi was tough, he didn't like seeing animals being killed right in front of him, so he had to force himself to turn around and look at something else. Maybe the lobsters, who weren't so dramatic with their deaths. Watching the poor fish go from alive and flopping to a mass of flesh was just too depressing.

Kaiba was walking close to him, and despite all the fishy smells around, Jonouchi could still make out his scent. It was calming to him, getting a whiff of it whenever he stood by, and turning around just to get a good inhale of it, Jonouchi tried to come up with something smart to say.

"It's good though that you like being chased so much, since you can't seem to catch up with me whenever I take off…"

Kaiba was a bit shaken after watching the display of animal slaughter. He valued life very highly, and didn't much like the thought or sight of other animals being killed for his nourishment, but he didn't have the metabolism to be a vegan. And filet mignon was delicious.

"Admittedly, I've teased people that way. But it wasn't done on purpose. Acting like that is dangerous. Someone is going to feel the need to prove himself and come after you."

He should know. Unlike Jonouchi, he had a force of armed men and women ready for his defense. Jonouchi was on his own. It made Kaiba worry, but he remembered that he wasn't really into males. Women had a lower rate of going nuts and hunting down a cock-tease, so maybe he was safe.

Still kind of an asshole, though.

"And I'd be able to keep up with you if you weren't in such a hurry," Kaiba defended, "Honestly, what's got you so excited that you want to go racing through a square full of dying animals?"

So he was a little upset about being surrounded by it. He couldn't really help it. Maybe he acknowledged the necessity, but it didn't make him eager to witness it. And who would like watching a fish get hacked up? Not him. The blood and stench of death was the same regardless of species.

"First off," said Jonouchi, turning to look at Kaiba, "The only guy I've ever thrown myself at is you. I highly doubt you'll actually do anything to me, especially when you had the chance to last night and you backed out before you could.

Second, it's not my fault you're slow. All markets have dead or dying animals in them, and I remember you eating that fish before without a second thought Kaiba, so don't act all above it."

People needed to make a living. It was a cold fact of life that some bigger, more powerful animal was going to slaughter another, and human beings just had more efficient ways of doing it. The process was no better or worse than a shark hacking a fish apart with its teeth, especially since the way the fish mongers were handling their animal's deaths far faster than what usually occurred in nature.

"Besides, if this all bothered you that much, you'd leave my stupid ass and go chase after some other cock tease. Just admit that you like having to catch up with me, even if the surroundings aren't so pleasant."

Grinning like a fiend, he wondered how Kaiba was going to reply to that.

Kaiba simply stared at Jonouchi for a few moments, his brain stalling momentarily due to an overload of plausible responses and what effect they would have. In the end, he realized he was beyond tired of all the argument and turmoil right now, especially since he didn't have the upper hand.

"And if you didn't want me to chase you, you wouldn't keep running."

Certainly, it wasn't fair for Jonouchi to pick at him if he wasn't allowed to pick back. He'd thought they were past that, especially considering the fact that Jonouchi had been asking very personal questions and invading his personal space.

Actually, he'd been a bit of an asshole ever since he found out Kaiba wanted him. That made him…angry? No. He couldn't identify the feeling. But it made his chest burn and his gut twist horribly. He walked in silence, falling back a little as he suddenly found that he couldn't be arsed to keep Jonouchi's pace, but he didn't lose sight of the other man.

"Maybe you're wrong, maybe you're right."

And too distracted to notice Kaiba falling back behind, he started looking over at another tank, inspecting the octopus inside. There were interesting creatures, invertebrates who could fit into the smallest of spaces, and yet were so damn intelligent. Jonouchi remembered watching some show where the animal had climbed out of his tank to eat a crab in another, only to return back home.

"Kaiba, come look-"

He was too far away, looking quite pissed off. Unsure of how to respond, Jonouchi just sighed and continued looking alone, trying to figure out a way to butter up the other man back into his good graces. Maybe teasing him about his sensitive sexuality wasn't a good idea.

Knowing it was the right thing to do, he walked back over to him, trying to appear friendly, and stopped right by his side. Sighing a little and crossing his arms, he looked up at his face.

"Would you rather leave now? If this makes you that uncomfortable, we can go do something else. I don't want you pissed off at me all day."

Or sulking around like Jonouchi had kicked him in the face. It made him feel guilty, and trying to win the man over with a smile, he waited for Kaiba's answer.

Jonouchi seemed to be finished getting on his nerves for the moment. Kaiba tilted his head curiously at the sudden change, but he couldn't help but feel relieved by it. He didn't want to be on edge all day long, especially since he planned to keep his obligation to take Jonouchi to KaibaLand.

"It's fine," he insisted, "I came here so I could pretend to be a normal person with you, so let's stay a little longer."

It was true that there was more to see in the area than dead and dying animals, and he figured he may as well check the place out.

"What were you looking at?" he asked, trying to follow what had been Jonouchi's line of vision and failing due to the crowd. He was starting to feel a bit stifled, but he didn't want to leave just yet. Jonouchi seemed to be trying to make amends, and leaving now would be spitting in his face.

"A tank full of octopus, come look."

And like nothing had ever happened, he snatched Kaiba's hand and dragged him over to where he was standing before. Using his free hand, he pointed to the different colored animals, who were all just as interested in them men as they were in them.

"I feel bad about them getting eaten, considering how smart they are. Once time I was watching some animal show, and they showed one crawling out of its tank to get to a crab in another tank, only to eat it and go right back home afterwards. Isn't that something? I didn't think something like this could be so intelligent…"

One of the animals had decided to suction its body against the glass, exposing its beak-like mouth. Immediately drawn to it, Jonouchi moved closer to inspect it, trying to get an inside look at its mouth.

"I used to want fish as a kid, but my mother hated them. Then I found out years later that my sister got a cat. Figures."

"There's a koi pond in my house," Kaiba noted, watching the octopus flex its beak and feeling a bit like it was trying to tell him something, "When you come over, you can feel free to enjoy it."

The octopus was lifted out of the tank, and Kaiba diverted his attention. There was a stand giving samples nearby, and he tugged Jonouchi's sleeve to indicate which way he wanted to go. He wasn't even sure what was being sampled, but he'd rather not stick around while the highly intelligent octopus was prepared for someone's dinner.

Honestly, he was born to be a child of luxury. He couldn't tolerate killing to eat, and he had to admit that he loved the finer things in life quite a lot. Hell, he probably couldn't even go camping. Just sleeping on Jonouchi's floor, and then the hotel couch, had left him sore and tired. He looked forward to sleeping in a comfortable bed again. Speaking of which…

"Are you staying over again tonight?" He asked Jonouchi, "We can stay at the hotel if you prefer."

Air conditioning, a quality bed that he'd hopefully make it to, and no nosy sexual neighbors next door… It sounded lovely. He definitely wasn't going to let that offer go, since the temperature was just climbing and he wanted nothing to do with the heat.

Speaking of which…

"I would like that... And Koi are some of my favorite fish, and I'm sure you have those really nice expensive ones people breed for color. That would be something to see."

Letting go of Kaiba's hand, he peeled off the grey sweater and tied it around his waist, far too over heated to care about what he looked like. Sure, people would see more of him than he'd like, but his companion had already seen him shirtless several times, and since they were in public, he didn't think it would get all that awkward.

"Before we leave, we should try some shrimp tempora. Or crab."

Kaiba went a little slack-jawed when Jonouchi revealed that the shirt he was wearing was, in fact, very tight. Heaven help him, he really was lusting. He hoped he'd get over it soon. It was becoming a bit much.

"Tempora…? Oh, I see. Crab sounds better in my opinion."

He followed Jonouchi on a hunt to find samples, all the while unable to stop watching his muscles work underneath the shirt. Damn it all. This day was going to be either very good or very bad. Eye candy was fine, but he was pretty sure that after enough staring, Jonouchi would get sick of him.

But he couldn't help himself much at this point. Jonouchi was leading, anyway. He probably hadn't noticed yet, and Kaiba was fine with that.

"After that, do you want to head to the theme park? I'll have someone bring my car to the Kaiba Corporation building so we can actually go places."

Jonouchi hadn't noticed. And if he had, it wouldn't have mattered all that much to him. People used to stare at him in California, while staying in LA. Although there were plenty of gorgeous people in that city, he got his fair share of attention and several girls had tried seducing him, especially because he was a cute Japanese guy. They had their "tastes", but the blond wasn't interested.

"They have to have a cup of crab or something you can buy."

In the states, the fish markets often sold shrimp and crab meat cocktails in their stands, so people could enjoy it without buying the damn thing and having to cook it at home. People stood next to the vendors with their cups and ate like kings, enjoying the salty goodness of the ocean.

"We could share one, if you'd like. I don't want to eat all the food, especially if you're paying. And I tend to do that, a lot. Honda used to get at me about it all the damn time."

It was partly a habit from never having much food in the house as a child. Always hungry, the teen had eaten anything that was around, or in a friend's house, and no longer that poor, he wanted to break himself of the habit. Especially while hanging around Kaiba.

"A cup sounds fine. Get whatever you want," Kaiba agreed, taking his eyes off of Jonouchi for a moment to investigate his surroundings. "Also, I'm starting to see why you covered up."

It was probably good that he did for a while there. Kaiba wouldn't have lasted ten minutes without losing his mind while under so much guilt and pressure with Jonouchi wearing that.

Fortunately, rather than entertain fantasies, his mind seemed content with knowing that he'd be around Jonouchi all day—infuriating as it was that he'd be unable to touch him. He had to admit that he had a certain level of awe for the human body, and Jonouchi was a fine specimen.

They got their cup, and Kaiba sent a quick text to Isono requesting that he drop the Hyundai off at the office.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked Jonouchi, "We can eat while we walk to Kaiba Corp. Or we can take a cab. Whichever."

"We can walk, if you'll keep up with me," he answered, licking the back of the spork he was using to eat his crab meat, "We've taken enough cabs all over town. Just lead the way."


	10. Chapter 10

Although the KC sign was pretty easy to spot from anywhere, Jonouchi didn't know the way by using the streets. He was pretty clueless and usually didn't go to central Domino unless he had to. And even then, he rarely went out alone because he was so prone to getting lost.

Not that he ever bothered to find directions. Usually he ran around aimlessly until his luck ended up driving him to where he was supposed to be. It wasn't a good way to get around a giant city, but it was working out for him. Jonouchi amused himself by wandering around and he never got intimidated being alone.

But he certainly enjoyed having company better. Following behind Kaiba, he ate his food as Kaiba walked ahead, his blue eyes looking back every once in a while in what Jonouchi thought was a check to make sure he was still there. Or ogling. Whichever thing, he didn't care.

"Kaiba," he asked, eventually deciding to break the silence, "Do I bother you when I wear tight clothes? Or when I'm just not dressed at all, like this morning?"

"It doesn't…bother me, exactly," Kaiba cleared his throat, realizing he'd been discovered, "It's just difficult to keep myself under control, though. Don't worry about it. I don't mind."

Of course, Jonouchi's teasing didn't help. His male mind was inclined to think that flirting meant a desire for sex, and his memories of the night before didn't help. If he was hones with himself, he'd say he wanted to rip Jonouchi's shirt off and ravish him right on the street, but there was a difference between what he wanted and what was appropriate.

It seemed that the Genesis Coupe was ready, waiting for them by the curb. Isono was standing by the car and held the keys.

"I admire your body," Kaiba informed Jonouchi before they got in earshot of the guard, "And I hope that doesn't bother you, because despite everything, I can't seem to stop."

Mouth opened as if about to speak, Jonouchi wanted to reply to that, but then they came upon Isono and he knew he'd have to wait until later to bring it back up. Maybe in private, after KaibaLand. They needed to clear the air, because he felt like things would only get more awkward until they did. Sure, he didn't help much before during breakfast, but he wanted to try again to be serious.

If only to make Kaiba feel comfortable. Although Jonouchi found the whole thing slightly bizarre and strange, he didn't want to alienate the only friend he had anymore. He figured that if Kaiba could choose his sexuality, he definitely wouldn't have chosen to become attracted to his stupid ass of all people, so he couldn't be blamed.

Besides, after high school Jonouchi had filled out immensely, so despite the discomfort at being checked out by a man (who was a friend too), he couldn't get mad at Kaiba for noticing that. It was human nature.

Kinda.

Taking a seat in the car and leaning against the window, Jonouchi sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to sort out the whole situation in his head. Kaiba was watching, being unable to stop himself from becoming curious. Jonouchi seemed a little strained. After driving the car toward KaibaLand, he paid a little less attention to the road, knowing his Genesis was plenty capable of maintaining speed and positioning without too much manual effort.

"Something on your mind?" He asked. "I can talk while I drive. You don't have to sit silently for my sake."

He'd considered playing the radio to give them some background noise, but he'd decided against it. Jonouchi might think he was trying to ignore him if he turned it on, even quietly.

"There's a lot on my mind, but I'm trying to sort it all out," answered Jonouchi, "When I know how to go about talking about it, I'll get back to you on it, promise."

Right now wasn't the time to get heavy into conversation. It was already slightly weird having to deal with the fact that a man who said that he hated him for years and years was Joesin' for him, but the fact that his own feelings over it were just as confusing didn't help. He didn't know what to make of it.

For now, he just wanted to enjoy KaibaLand. Putting his mind at ease and enjoying a more carefree day was what Jonouchi wanted, and maybe later that night at the hotel they could talk about what was going on. But right now it wasn't the time. Serious discussions had the habit of draining him, and not wanting to suck the energy out of Kaiba too, he decided to keep his concern to himself until a later time.

"Also, thanks for letting me stay at the hotel again. It makes thing a bit easier, not having to take the train back home…"

"Oh," Kaiba hadn't even really expected thanks. It had seemed logical for Jonouchi to stay at the hotel, as they'd both likely be tired after leaving KaibaLand, and sending the man home while exhausted in the dark would be…inconsiderate. Especially considering where he lived.

"Don't worry about it," he glanced at Jonouchi briefly, trying his best to offer a small, genuine smile. He wasn't used to being amiable. He'd have to learn it, he supposed. "I'm just…trying to be a good friend."

Which was true, he supposed, otherwise he wouldn't be struggling so hard with his attraction to his 'friend'. If he had no sentiment or respect for Jonouchi, he would have just fucked him the night before. Or tried to. As it were, he'd ended up backing out of sex once more—this time because he was attracted, rather than the opposite.

"Yeah, but…It's gotta be a drag, being away from your brother for two days," said Jonouchi, "If I had a nice place to live, I wouldn't want to be hiding out in some hotel room, so I'm just saying that I appreciate your… generosity. You didn't need to do this for me."

"Don't worry about it. We're almost there…try to keep a less hectic pace at the theme park. It'll likely be quite crowded, and I don't want to lose you."

"It's not like I'm some kid who's going to get stolen if I wander off, Kaiba, but yeah. I won't leave you behind, if it bothers you."

And giving a smug look to his companion, he wondered briefly why he wanted to stick by so close, but he didn't ask.

"I know you're not a child," replied Kaiba back, rolling his eyes, "Just…humor me, for the sake of my nerves. The worst scenario is always a possibility..."

KaibaLand had been the target of dangerous activity before. They were relatively safe from sabotage due to Kaiba's computerized and manned security, but they still had occasional bomb threats and the like that had to be investigated. If a threat became an actuality, he'd rather not be separated from his companion while people rushed out of the building like spooked cattle.

There was silence for a few minutes, before Kaiba looked back at Jonouchi and decided to bring up his brother since he was mentioned.

"-I don't see Mokuba that much at home anyway. We sometimes have dinner together, but the most we communicate now is me asking about his day and him looking at me like he doesn't know why I'm asking. Probably because he's doing just fine. I'm just used to him being excited to tell me everything. Now he's more wrapped up in his own life."

"Have you tried talking to him about that? Because I remember how close you two were before and maybe if you did something he liked, Mokuba wouldn't try blowing you off so much. I mean, he's a teenager so he's going to be indifferent, but it probably won't last. Everyone has their asshole years to get over."

Jonouchi didn't really understand the brothers too well, but then again Kaiba never really told anyone about their relationship. It was very secretive, and except for the information he learned through his time stuck in Noa's world, he was left in the dark. It was surprising to him that they had grown apart.

"I'd like to see him again, sometime. I know we weren't the best of friends, but he's a cool kid and I'm sure I could show him a good time if he was interested. Maybe go do something different from the usual stuff he's been doing."

"He's trying to forge his own path," Kaiba explained, "And right now, I can't get involved with that without being in the way. Maybe sometime I'll see if he wants to spend a few hours with you and me. Since we're spending more time together...

I've tried talking to him, but…I'm not good with heart-to-heart conversations. Usually I end up saying the wrong thing and making him think I'm after something. I just want to spend time with him…"

Then again, he'd never explicitly said that to his little brother. Why was it he could tell Jonouchi and not Mokuba this?

"He's gonna want to know why we're so buddy-buddy now, though," mentioned Jonouchi, "We didn't exactly part as friends four years ago, so he'll want an explanation. But if he wanted to come with us, that would be great. I mean he should be hanging around kids his own age, but sometimes it's not bad to see old friends, right?

Besides, you need to work on your people skills. Not saying you're socially retarded or anything, but it shouldn't be that hard to talk to him on a personal level. Especially after everything that happened between you two. You guys were so close. For a long time, I was jealous of you."

He wondered what had happened to make Mokuba steer away. It couldn't just be his growing up, because sure teenagers were distant, but not to the point of avoiding. And Kaiba wasn't some lame ass parent either, so it didn't make too much sense to him.

"Give me his number and I'll talk to him, if you want me to."

Kaiba drove silently as he considered that. Maybe Jonouchi could get through to Mokuba. He knew part of the reason why his brother was so unconcerned with getting time with him. Some of his reasoning was that he was trying to break out of his carefully cultivated nest, and some of it was just the nature of children growing away from their guardians. There were other things, too, for which Kaiba had apologized, but Mokuba either brushed it off or pretended it was more okay with him than it actually was.

Maybe Jonouchi could talk to him. Maybe an outside, neutral party could convince him to go out on a limb and leave his pubescent drama alone for a while.

"Go ahead and call him, if you're really fine with that," he nodded, "I think it's a good idea. He always liked you, so maybe he'll take stock in what you say. Or at least feel inclined to spend time with you."

"Yeah, I will."

Falling silent again, he started to zone out while tapping his foot against the bottom of the car. It was quiet, he was tired, and the soothing hum of the vehicle was putting him close to sleep. Didn't help either that he got up so early and didn't sleep much the night before.

"So I know it's not any of my business, but… what exactly happened when you told your brother that you were a queer?"

Kaiba glanced at Jonouchi through the corner of his eyes before responding. He didn't seem to be leading into any jibes, so he decided to answer honestly.

"He didn't get it at first, to be honest. He asked me if I was going to see a psychologist, and later he asked why I would like men. He seemed content with my explanation, but ever since then he's been a little different around me. Like he isn't sure what to feel. It's only been about a year, so maybe he needs time to come to grips with it. I know I did…"

He tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel, wondering if he should reveal any more information. In the end, he felt that nothing would be resolved by keeping it to himself.

"Before he started puberty, I used to lie on his bed with him until he fell asleep. It was something he requested. Then he turned thirteen and decided he was too old for that," Kaiba smiled a little at the memory. Mokuba's brave face when announcing that he was old enough to sleep alone was something he'd be sure to remember.

"I don't think he thinks so, but…I wondered if maybe he was concerned about that when he found out I was queer. I think he knows me better than that, but I can't ask about it."

He sighed again and pressed the brake as they reached a stoplight.

"I don't know how much my sexuality has to do with the distance. He insists that he's fine with it. He keeps a lot to himself, though."

"I don't think he should be upset about that. You two are brothers. And I'm sure you don't go looking at him in that way, just like I don't go looking at my sister like she's anything but my sister. Sure, he might be a little weirded out and shocked, but that shouldn't be why he's acting out. That's just not that big of a deal."

It was hard to see Kaiba in that role, being the supportive and affectionate older brother when he came off as so distant in public. Jonouchi wondered about it, since the separation seemed to put him into some sort of depression and he didn't think Kaiba liked being pushed to the side. Sure, he understood why, but it was clearly bothering him.

Jonouchi wished he understood the problem better. It had to be partly because Kaiba was more like a parent to Mokuba than just a brother. With Shizuka, Jonouchi never had to tell her what she could or couldn't do, that was never his call. They were equals, despite what their mother thought, and they grew up apart in such a way that they hardly knew each other anymore.

That wasn't the case with Mokuba and Kaiba. He knew enough to know that they used to be attached at the hip, and for the younger Kaiba to just stop having anything to do with Seto was slightly distressing. Something must have happened for him to act out like that.

"People say they're fine with a lot of things when they aren't. I'll talk to him, don't worry about it."

"Thank you," Kaiba murmured gratefully, "I know there are things he won't tell me. It would be different if I hadn't been a surrogate parent for him, I suppose. I've had to be his mother, father, brother, and best friend…and I didn't always perform in all positions very well."

That he knew for a fact. He just hoped whatever scars he'd left had been healed by time and his constant attempts to make up for it after the fact, even though Mokuba didn't always know what it was for which he was trying to compensate.

They were nearing the theme park, and Kaiba wracked his brain for any other private topic he wanted to discuss before they arrived.

"So," he began, hesitantly, "Are you really okay with the fact that I'm queer?"

It was a pertinent question. Domino didn't carry the attitude of more laid-back cities like Osaka, in that many people firmly believed that homosexuality was a disease. A mental dysfunction that required treatment.

"Yes and no. But I don't want to talk about it until later tonight. It's something I'm still trying to come to terms with in my head. Give me a few hours to figure it out, and I'll come back to you on that."

He was watching the cars as they went into the underground parking garage, the huge KaibaLand building looming ahead of them. It was the highest ranking indoor theme park in Japan, mainly because space was so limited and they couldn't make sprawling parks in the country like they did in the United States. The American KaibaLand was different in those regards, but Jonouchi enjoyed the original one better.

For one, the park had more emphasis on games and mind fuckery than rides. Japan would allow for more adult themes, and not afraid to push the boundaries, KaibaLand had some of the most disturbing and twisted virtual holographic rides in the world.

That, and the still popular dueling platforms, despite the existence of duel disks.

"That's fair," Kaiba decided. He was wary of Jonouchi's only semi-acceptance, but he acknowledged that he was doing him the courtesy of being honest rather than leading him to believe something that wasn't true.

They exited the car and started the walk toward the KaibaLand building. Jonouchi seemed to be slowing down for his benefit, so he picked up the pace to allow them to get inside more quickly.

"What do you want to do first?" He asked, "I created everything here, so it's all the same to me."

Well, that wasn't true. The things he'd created had been tweaked until he thought them suitably frightening, meaning they scared him. He'd been in one hell of a dark place when he built the more traumatizing games and rides, the content inspired by the waking nightmare he'd suffered at the hands of Atem. He hadn't quite replicated it to perfection (he couldn't without actually harming the audience), but if it made his hair stand on end, then certainly it was scary enough to leave an impression on the public.

"Whatever's the scariest ride you have here? I remember the first time Yugi and I came, we almost shit our pants on that dinosaur simulator thing you had six years ago. Hopefully you have something better now, because I want to be surprised. And more scared than I was last night."

He enjoyed being scared to the point of being paralyzed. It was a high, for someone who usually was threatened by violence and was used to having to use his instincts to protect himself. Being unable to do anything was something Jonouchi rarely ever felt, but when he did…

It was something else.

Zombies frightened him more than anything else in the world. He couldn't watch the movies or play the games without chewing off his nails and shaking his legs enough for Honda to start yelling at him for being so damn annoying with it. They scared him to the point of freezing up in fear.

Which is why he was hoping for something with them in it.

"Do you have a zombie ride by chance?"

"With the recent craze? Of course," Kaiba sniffed. Secretly, he was relieved. Zombies were the one thing he most certainly could say he did not fear. They were a scientific impossibility, and if they did happen to show up, they'd be easy to evade or kill.

That said, he was apparently so sick in the head that his zombie ride managed to make chills crawl up his spine on occasion.

He directed Jonouchi toward the dark archway across the entrance lobby that led to the 'fear' games and rides. Through the tunnel, which was lit by blacklights, there were several forking directions, each labeled by a sign saying what was where.

"The zombie ride is on the far right," he explained, "Are you ready? Don't need to use the restroom first?"

He wasn't even trying to be insulting. He just knew that people tended to not think about that sort of thing, and he'd had a good number of adults and pubescents piss themselves in here. Or vomit.

"I'm not a six year old Kaiba, I'm fine. Besides, I didn't have much to drink except tea, so don't worry about me."

Huffing a little, Jonouchi started walking a bit faster toward the back of the line, putting his sweater back on since the air conditioning was a bit too much after sweating through the black shirt he was wearing. Cold sweat was very uncomfortable, and once clothed again properly, he crossed his arms and watched.

"How bad is this ride, anyways? I know it's probably worse than that hall of mirrors thing we went to last night, but I want to be a little prepared. I'm sure you have this ride completely memorized too."

He wasn't looking at Kaiba but at the actual coaster as it went by. The ride didn't have any drops, to Jonouchi's dissatisfaction, but there were plenty of thrills to be had. Each coaster sat two together, which ensured plenty of interaction with the monsters as they'd come running out of their dark hiding spots. Thankfully Jonouchi wouldn't need to rely on his survival instincts, since they'd probably go to hell.

"And don't spoil it for me! I just want a bit of a warning."

"I won't tell you anything, except that if someone touches you, don't hit them," Kaiba warned. He smirked a little bit as well. This ride was special, in that everything inside was high-quality Solid Illusion software. Except, of course, for the occasional actor or two who would follow the two-seater cars when they slowed down, shuffling and groaning, and then surprise the hell out of whoever sat inside.

The holograms, on the other hand, created the illusion that the space they were in was far larger than it actually was, inventing a landscape of cities going to hell as people were attacked and eaten by the undead, or of near-abandoned towns where visitors might see a glimpse or two of a few zombies shuffling about just before an actor tapped their shoulder.

The two of them got into a car, and Kaiba just hoped no one would freak out when they realized they were trying to scare their boss. He wanted very badly to see Jonouchi terrified while he was not. At least it would make him feel less embarrassed about the fun house.

"Oh jeez, thanks for the warning Kaiba. I feel very prepared now."

Jonouchi gave his companion a dubious look but then turned his attention back towards the line. A dozen people went on each coaster and it took a good fifteen minutes before the next one would reappear. Standing there watching, he knew he had about twenty minutes before they'd go in.

And waiting was the worst part. His anxiety was starting to eat at him, knowing that he wasn't enjoying a level playing field with this ride like the last one. Kaiba probably wouldn't get scared. He knew everything that would happen, and feeling a little resentful of the fact, he huffed again before turning his attention back towards Kaiba.

"If I get scared, will you let me hold your hand for comfort?" He asked sarcastically, grinning a little while waiting for Kaiba's answer.

Kaiba couldn't be sure in the dark, but it looked as if Jonouchi was grinning. Maybe he was joking, or maybe he was being serious and trying to look like he was joking. Kaiba fished around his mind for a response that would be suitable either way.

"Of course," he responded quietly, so as not to be heard by the people around them, "Don't break anything and you can hold whatever you want."

He realized after he finished talking that what he'd said was a little suggestive, and he grimaced.

"I probably could have phrased that more properly," he noted before clearing his throat. Honestly, he wasn't doing a good job keeping things from being awkward. He did entertain a momentary fantasy about Jonouchi pressing against him in the seat for whatever reason, though. He wasn't necessarily the type to cling, but he valued affection (starved for it as he'd been most his life) and enjoyed human touch.

Especially Jonouchi's, actually. When he thought about the night before, when the other man's hand had been down his shirt, he really did wish that he could feel it again. Resisting the desire to chase someone who had him this hot and bothered was a new activity for him.

It was very, very difficult. Perhaps it would be easier in a couple of days.

"Yeah, you probably could have," interrupted Jonouchi, unaware of Kaiba's current thoughts, "But it's okay. It's nice to know that I have more than one option here."

And snorting, he turned back around to watch the last group load onto the ride, the guests looking very nervous about what they were about to experience. Being the next in line had Jonouchi fretting, unable to keep still as his excitement ate at him. The wait was what made the experience good, and being one for just running into things, he had a hard time controlling himself.

"Does Mokuba like stuff like this? I'm sure he's tough like you, or at least puts up a good front. He seems like the kind of kid who doesn't get scared of anything; I mean… he did run after you that one time when you got stuck in your virtual game. Actually took off without us…"

The kid had guts.

"Also had the nerve to laugh at me about that grave yard. I fucking hate grave yards, dead people, all of it…"

Whenever he got anxious, Jonouchi would start rambling. It was one of his nervous habits, one that Kaiba would probably become very familiar with if he chose to stay friends with him. He had a lot of strange ticks, and biting his lip, he watched as a new cart approached with two open seats for him and Kaiba.

"Crap."

"Mokuba isn't fearless, but he has courage," Kaiba replied, approaching the empty cart, "He's also very tenacious. When he decides to risk himself for something, you can be damn sure he's not letting go until you pry him away from his goal using immense force."

The carts were relatively small, essentially forcing somewhat close proximity for two rather tall adult males. His knee was pressed against Jonouchi's despite his will, due to the fact that his long legs couldn't fit if he didn't spread them open. The tingling he had experienced the day before on the Ferris wheel wasn't as prominent as the comfortable feeling it gave him, and he worried about that. Jonouchi was a good guy, but they were still practically strangers. He shouldn't feel that comfortable with him…

Then again, he'd been drunk and high around this man, told him about his sex life and sexuality, and taken him to his hotel room that he considered very private; not to mention, he'd been ready and willing to do very intimate sexual things with him.

Being okay with their legs touching paled in comparison, all things considered.

It didn't bother Jonouchi much at all though, too distracted by the potential adrenaline rush to care if Kaiba was so close. Sure, he didn't like being all over him now that he knew what was going on in his head, but still, it didn't bother him to the point of withdrawing contact. He just decided to be more careful, and legs against each other were hardly anything.

"I wish I was courageous, but I just get high off fear."

Fear, the threat of violence, all of it. It was one of the reasons why he enjoyed dueling so much. Something about pitting himself against another and having to fight it out (when without fists) got his blood pumping and made him extremely giddy with excitement. Especially when he won.

Although winning wasn't everything.

"I guess that just makes me stupid, putting myself in danger for shits and giggles. I'm fucked up in the head a little, I'm sure of it."

"We're all mad here," Kaiba quoted, smirking a little dryly as he thought about his own personal issues, many of which were self-inflicted. So Jonouchi liked to fight. It didn't matter if he wasn't attacking innocent bystanders. Hell, Kaiba was up for the rush of a good workout or training session. He was just realistic about his mortality, and couldn't really afford to destroy his body.

"You get high on fear, and I get high on just about everything else. I'm not going to judge you. It isn't as if I don't have my own psychological errors."

He didn't say anything more, as the cart was moving at a quite steady pace and he didn't want to reduce the effect of the ride. Jonouchi seemed more enraptured with the suspense than what he was saying, so it didn't matter anyways.

With Kaiba no longer talking, Jonouchi focused all his attention back on the ride. They were jolted forward, and feeling a strange wave of anticipation roll through his body, he couldn't help but press his inside shoulder against Kaiba's, not wanting to feel so alone. Sure, he knew what he was seeing wasn't real, but it didn't stop the feeling of impending doom.

Looking around, he saw that seemed to have been transferred into a complete wasteland. It was KaibaLand, completely wrecked and gutted like a ton of bombs had gone off inside. There were dead bodies all over, and staring at the ground, he saw dismembered limbs too.

"I know this isn't real," whispered Jonouchi, looking up at Kaiba's face, "But it sure looks real. And smells real too."

The air was putrid and smoky. Thick with disease, it made it hard to breathe, and covering his mouth, the blond continued watching for something to happen until the cart went out of the main doors of KaibaLand and into the city.

And that's where the hordes were waiting for them.

Kaiba heard Jonouchi yelp beside him, and he tried not to laugh. He was covering his mouth and nose to defend himself from the smell—which honestly had been toned down from the original synthesized stench because it actually smelled like rotted flesh. Too many ride testers had thrown up in here…

The horde was programmed to notice the cart when it was halfway across the area, heading toward an abandoned building. If the visitors screamed, they noticed more quickly. Whatever the scenario, there were enough variables in the programming to ensure that the closest zombie would just barely miss swiping the passenger. He'd even found a way to synthesize the breeze that would result from a powerful swing like that.

Jonouchi's yelp had caught their attention, and one or two started to shuffle their way. Jonouchi went silent then, staring wide-eyed at the approaching holograms, and Kaiba felt him pressing even closer. He didn't mind, particularly. He could hardly think about sex with his current surroundings, and he had to admit that he liked the idea of touching Jonouchi platonically.

Jonouchi was too scared once again to think over it. Zombies terrified him. Staring like a deer trapped in the head lights of a car, all he could do was instinctively move closer to Kaiba's side as one limping zombie creature came towards him, jaw nearly falling off from rot.

The realism of it all was so intense, and screams erupted from the back as a few passengers almost got snatched by several monsters. There was an eruption of screaming all over, and biting his lip, Jonouchi looked all around him for attackers, but he was thankfully safe.

For now.

The cart started moving again, and as it picked up speed, the horde tried trailing behind the passengers; they couldn't keep up, and Kaiba chuckled at the sighs of relief he heard. Slowing down, the creatures moaned and growled as the ride got away, moving toward what looked like a desolated landscape of torn up suburbs and cars on fire.

The sound of someone screaming pierced the stagnant air, and Kaiba watched as Jonouchi's head snapped to the left. He (and many other passengers) stared wide-eyed through one of the broken windows of a house across the way, where a woman was being torn to pieces, her screams eventually becoming wet gurgles.

The cart came to a stop then, and he was sure that the audience had noticed the scattered shufflers around the place who were looking for food, but no one screamed. Kaiba was a little disappointed. He loved it when some ditz in the crowd got shocked and started shrieking, only to do more of the same when the horde came running.

It was no big deal. The cart would stay in place until one of the nearby actors shocked someone into yelling out, at which point they would haul ass to the next area before they became food.

Kaiba had thought this out very carefully in the interests of making people experience horror. Mokuba had been helpful in that, having a better grasp of impressing the horrific on others than his older brother did. But Kaiba had been the one who made the ride truly twisted, so much so that even Mokuba would pass on it unless he was feeling very brave.

Staring next to Kaiba, Jonouchi hoped no one would scream anymore. He wasn't the sort to really flip out into vocals unless something decided to lunge at him, which was when he'd break into screams and be unable to shut his mouth. But this time was pretty good, and trying to keep a level head, he didn't speak.

But someone in the back did. A girl was being dragged out of her seat in the ride, and everyone panicked, crying about how they were supposed to just be on a fun ride. What they didn't know was the rider was an actor, placed right where a "zombie" could kidnap her, and the cart taking off once again left the "poor girl" to be eaten alive.

The cries was awful. It didn't stop for a long time, and finally reaching what looked like woods, the sounds of the dying girl had ceased to haunt the crowd. Inside laid the dead carcasses of deer, scattered across the grounds with limbs and intestines all over.

"Kaiba, you really are fucked up in the head," muttered Jonouchi, who didn't even realize he was latched onto the man's arm, "How did you come up with this?"

"I remember horror," he noted, not knowing how much or little Jonouchi knew about Atem's penalty games back in the day, "And Mokuba helped me figure out how to get the things in my head out in the open. That, and studying Ito Junji's works."

He hoped Jonouchi didn't think he was distrubed. In all honesty, creating terrifying rides and games helped him clear his own somewhat nerve-wracked psyche. Somehow, examining every aspect of the things that plagued his thoughts and dreams made them lose their edge.

"It makes things a little easier when people want to be scared, too," he added, trying to derail the conversation slightly to avoid coming off as strange. It wasn't like anyone was actually dying. It was just illusion, and he could be quite the illusionist when he so wished.

They came to the end of the woods, where a big clearing had opened up. The tracks stopped there, and looking around, Jonouchi wondered what was going to happen next. He liked being ignorant, in that sense, and watching one walker coming out of the woods, he started pressing his body against Kaiba's again.

It walked along completely oblivious of the people at first, until its face turned. It was the girl from the ride. Her neck was mangled and she had half her skull missing. Groaning, one leg twisted backwards and missing the muscles on her calf, she started running towards Jonouchi.

He didn't scream. Sitting there in utter fear, he didn't make a noise until someone in the back started screaming.

There were zombies everywhere. They were running out of the woods in a mass of rotting flesh, and there was no escape. This time the roller coaster seats didn't move, and feeling death coming their way, some people got so scared they tried getting out of their seats. But the buckles had locks, and right before the mass of undead came to eat them-

-Everything went black. There was nothing.

"What the…"

Then the lights came on and everyone found themselves in a huge empty room, the wall in front of them displaying a huge blown up picture of their frightened faces. Noticing his grip on Kaiba's arm, Jonouchi let go to save face and was relieved when they all could finally get out.

The ride was absolutely terrifying.

Jonouchi was being very quiet as they walked briskly back to the well-lit lobby, and despite the fact that Kaiba knew he had wanted to be scared, he felt compelled to ask after his well-being.

"Are you all right? I didn't want to scar you for life."

He seemed genuinely traumatized, and Kaiba was starting to think he shouldn't have taken him on the zombie ride. He himself knew every twist and turn of the thing, and had no fear of the undead anyway, so the worst he'd had were chills up his spine when the actress had been screaming bloody murder. She really was very good at her job.

Jonouchi's fearful look suddenly turned into a grin, and not shy about body contact, he grabbed Kaiba's arm in his excitement.

"That was great, what are you saying? I've never been on anything so damn scary before, and you were right to ask about the whole bathroom thing. I wasn't expecting that to happen, with that girl getting dragged off and whatnot! And the ending, it was genius…

Yugi would have shit his pants on that thing."

Letting go, he started walking towards a map of KaibaLand, wanting to see all that was available to him. There was a lot being offered at the place, and he wanted to try a little of everything, but he didn't know how much of it Kaiba wanted to experience again.

And it wouldn't be long before he'd get hungry again.

Admittedly, Kaiba was impressed. Jonouchi had been obviously terrified, but now he seemed to be completely over it. Talk about not dwelling…

He joined the blond near the building map, watching his eyes zip around for a short while before deciding to intervene.

"What do you want to do next?" He asked, "There are a lot of VR games and rides. There's an indoor rollercoaster, as well, if you're interested. The food court is near our current location."

He knew the place like the back of his hand. No need to make Jonouchi strain his eyes squinting at the map. Speaking of which, he sometimes wondered if Shizuka's eye problems had been genetic. Jonouchi didn't seem to have poor vision, but he could develop it. But, he supposed, that would be a bridge that would have to be crossed in its own time.

"I don't know, there's too many choices."

Looking at what was available; Jonouchi traced his finger across the map before deciding upon a roller coaster. It looked like the most intense of all the rides outside of the horror themed ones, and grinning at the size of the drop, he definitely wanted to try it out. He had enough time to digest his food anyway, so there was no threat of puking.

"I want to try Dueling Dragons. It looks really big and I want to feel my stomach flop around until I think it's going to come spilling out of my throat!" Exclaimed Jonouchi enthusiastically, "And I haven't been on something like that since Yugi took me to Disneyland."

Jonouchi had screamed surprisingly loudly on the roller coaster, despite the fact that he seemed to be immensely happy to be there. Maybe it just felt good to release the pent-up fear at the drop. Kaiba did no such thing, and instead ended up bracing himself in his seat, knuckles turning white as he gripped the bar in front of them. He enjoyed the thrill, but honestly, he couldn't risk being recognized screaming bloody murder at his own theme park.

After he had his bearings on solid ground again, Jonouchi was immediately rushing them off to the food court, eventually resorting to dragging Kaiba along by the arm due to his excitement. Jonouchi had a cheeseburger, obviously in the mood for some knock-off of American food rather than something actually tasty. Kaiba decided to pass on lunch. He'd had a large breakfast, and he usually didn't eat a meal at midday anyway.

Once they'd explored the arcade, the VR laser tag arena, and had a demo of one of Kaiba's in-dev games, it was evening. Jonouchi finally ran out of hyper, much to Kaiba's relief. He didn't begrudge the man his happiness. He was simply worried that he'd collapse before Jonouchi even started getting sore feet.

.


	11. Chapter 11

The drive back to the hotel was mostly quiet, Kaiba playing some of his favorite music on the stereo and Jonouchi occasionally gushing about the park and giving him the biggest ego stroking he'd had in a long while. He felt deeply satisfied at having actually had a good day without too many of his personality kinks killing the buzz…

He got them safely back to the hotel, by which time night had fallen. Glad to finally take off his shoes and relax on his comfortable couch, Kaiba looked over at his companion. Jonouchi seemed to be fixing himself a glass of water in the kitchen.

"Hoi," he addressed, "Bring me a glass, will you?"

"Sure thing."

Jonouchi didn't mind. Grabbing a glass and filling it with water, he returned in no time with two, taking a seat next to Kaiba before handing him over his glass. Taking a sip of his own, he thought about what he wanted to say, for the first time in a long time. Usually he didn't think over it, but this time he needed to. The whole sexuality thing was bugging him and he felt the need to clear the air.

"I want to talk to you about what we were about to get into while in the car," Jonouchi finally spilled out, feeling slightly embarrassed, "I promised I'd get back to you on it, so I guess now is as good a time as any…

I don't have a problem with you being queer. Honestly, it doesn't bother me too much, even if I don't necessarily like it… It's something I don't really understand, but if that's how you want to live your life, than who am I to stop you? I mean what you do with other men isn't really any of my business.

But I don't know how comfortable I can be with you if I know you're looking at me like that. I don't understand it... Although I teased you about it and acted all stuck up during breakfast, I honestly don't get what you see in me. I'm average looking with decent hair."

He was selling himself short, but Jonouchi usually did that. Sighing, he crossed his arms and glanced Kaiba's way, but couldn't keep his eyes focused on him for too long.

"I like being friends with you. Despite the arguments and fights, I haven't had a good friend to spend my time with in months. And I don't want to lose that. So don't think I'm going to run off from you because of this whole lust thing you have for me, but please. Give me some time to deal with it."

Kaiba was resting against the pillows he had between his back and the arm of the couch, his feet on the cushion and glass of water in both hands. He tilted his head in mild disbelief at Jonouchi.

"Do you really not know how attractive you are?" He asked, thinking that Jonouchi must surely be acting modest. Nothing about him was average. He had an athlete's body and some amazing-as-hell blond hair—not to mention his hazel eyes and easy smile. And those were just the physical traits.

"You're above average. I doubt you want me to go into detail, but take my word for it. You're a tenner, and it's making things difficult for me. I appreciate that you're all right with my preference, and you aren't going to bolt because you know I'm attracted to you, but I can't promise I won't stare once in a while. I've been trying not to because I know I shouldn't, but sometimes it's more difficult not to than other times…

Before you think I'm a complete lecher, though, I'll inform you that I do value your friendship. I've told and shown you things that I can't even discuss with my brother. Hell, you've asked me about things that no one else cared enough to wonder about. It actually does mean a lot to me. I want to keep that."

He paused to drink down some of his water, realizing that his throat was quite dry. Then he took a couple of breaths before he continued.

"First and foremost, I want to keep being a friend to you. I can control my attraction. I'm sure that'll pass at some point, anyway. It's just a chemical reaction. My sexuality, on the other hand, is not. And…if you're confused about it, then you can ask me questions. I can't promise that every question has an answer, but I can try. Just don't kick me in the teeth about it."

"I'll try not to," answered Jonouchi. "It's something that's going to take some time to process. I mean, I'm still trying to get over the fact that you're being nice to me, let alone wanting to sleep with me. Do you know how bizarre this whole thing is for me, after all those years of harassment and hatred? It's not an easy thing to just forget about.

But I'm trying to move past that. It's been a few years since all that high school crap happened and I know you want to move on. I want to move on too. However, I still need my time to adjust. Call me slow, but rapid change is hard for me unless I'm in a duel. Then it's just part of the fun."

And smiling at the thought, he got up and cracked his back before looking for a way upstairs. He needed a smoking break. Badly. Whenever he got into hard discussions that messed with him, he felt a sudden craving for nicotine.

"Will you come up with me while I smoke?"

Kaiba didn't want to force a smile, but he did feel his face soften in relief. Jonouchi seemed willing to work with him. That was a good thing.

"Of course," he replied, standing and leading Jonouchi toward the roof, "I suppose I should thank you. Considering everything I've put you through in the past, and even just over the last few days, you've been very amiable. I haven't really shown proper consideration for that."

They had reached the rooftop, and Kaiba immediately wanted to return to the air-conditioned penthouse when he felt the humidity. Suddenly the pool looked more tempting than it had ever been.

"I should mention, though, that I've never been social—not even when I was a child. I've always had the uncanny ability to piss off anyone I spoke with simply by saying things wrong. I'm telling you all this because I know I'll probably be an ass multiple times in the future, and I don't want you to take it too much to heart."

Jonouchi was listening to Kaiba talk as he fiddled with his box of cigarettes, trying to get one out before stuffing the package back into his pockets. Bobbing the smoke in his mouth up and down several times before lighting it, he took one deep inhale before pulling it out, letting out a huge cloud of white smoke.

"And that's why you want me to teach you how to be social, am I right? I can do that. Like I said before, I'm not used to you like this and it makes me a little wary. I can't help that, but… I want to help you change. I can see that you actually want to be my friend and I appreciate your efforts to improve. That's all I ask for.

Besides, you're not that bad really. We have our disagreements, but all things considered, it's what all friends do. Honda and I used to fight like cats and dogs but we were best friends through high school. The only friend I ever had who I didn't fight with was Yugi, but he was a special kind of kid. Once in a lifetime friend. I don't hold people up to those standards…"

He tapped his burning cigarette twice to take off the ashes before taking another drag, relaxing against the rail of the roof. Legs crossed over each other and free arm over the rail, his posture was less withdrawn than it had been before.

"And we're both works in progress. I have my own issues I'm trying to deal with too."

"I understand," Kaiba nodded, leaning against the rail as well, "And frankly, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if we got along all the time, so that's all right. I can't guarantee I won't act strangely. I'm not good with people."

He felt as if the metal case in his pocket was on fire, and he took hold of it before popping it open. He still had several blunts left, and he had the bright idea to toke up and go swimming. Actually, that was a terrible idea. Or, it would be, if he got so blazed that he drowned like a moron. He hummed as he thought it over.

"Jonouchi," he addressed, "This is off-topic, but I have pot and a swimming pool. Both are available if you should want to use them. I remember that you were a little disappointed that you didn't get high yesterday."

Maybe he'd end up getting stupid with Jonouchi tonight. He felt confident that he could control his urges. Maybe it was because the air was clear, or maybe he was fooling himself. Either one worked. So long as he didn't start trying to suck face with his companion (again), he'd be okay.

Even if they didn't smoke, he would probably still go for a swim. He could use the exercise, and it would be an entertaining way to stay cool in the humid night air.

"Sure, but I'm only swimming if you can handle me with my shirt off without drooling all over yourself."

And he was serious about that. It made him slightly uncomfortable being checked out by a man; he couldn't help the strange flopping sensations his stomach made every time he caught Kaiba's eyes on him. He wondered what he was thinking about, and sometimes it bothered him, but other times… It didn't when he felt like it should have.

Getting high just might be the relief he needed to get over the situation. Maybe he was thinking too hard about the whole thing and just needed to clear his head. Pot had a magical way of doing just that, and walking up to Kaiba after flicking away his used-up cigarette, he took the metal case from him and picked up a joint.

It was smaller than a cigarette, and it had a less unpleasant smell. Picking it up and lighting it, he took one deep inhale before exhaling it back out, grinning as he did so. For Jonouchi, it had been a long ass time since he was able to get completely stoned.

He lit his own smoke and inhaled, held, then released. He knew it would take a lot to get him blazed without the added effects of alcohol, but he still preferred to take things slowly.

"I promise I won't stare at you while we're in the pool," answered Kaiba back, "I'll behave. I may go grab my bong, though. It'll be easier to leave that unattended than lit joints."

Jonouchi was staring at the water, trying to decide in his head if he wanted to swim or not. He didn't have anything to wear swimming and going in his boxers… well, Kaiba's boxers, might not be the best of ideas. It depended on what kind of material it was.

He also didn't know if he could handle himself in the water or not. His head was already feeling light and hazy, and he was still working his way through his joint while giving Kaiba a narrow eyed look. Sure, he wasn't being as friendly as he should be with the man who gave him expensive ass drugs, but Jonouchi could be a little spiteful.

The pool looked very inviting though. Settling for slipping off his shoes and socks, Jonouchi just took a seat by the water's edge. He tossed his sweater to the side before taking back his joint, letting the water cool him off a little by sticking his feet in.

"I'd rather live here than in a big empty house," remarked Jonouchi, not talking to anyone in particular.

Kaiba held his blunt in his mouth as he removed his shirt and socks, feeling a little self-conscious knowing how he looked compared to Jonouchi, and he took a seat at the water's edge as well.

"I wish I could live here," he remarked, almost feeling as if he was talking to himself, "I stay here during the week when I work late, sometimes. But I have to make Kaiba Mansion my primary residence. All the rooms in that house aren't just empty. I'm running a business out of that place just as much as I am at work. I have labs, rooms with computers that take up entire walls…even areas for tech development. I'm the only one who uses the stuff, of course, but it wouldn't all fit here. Not with Mokuba along for the ride."

Which reminded him—he hadn't heard from his little brother all day. He popped him a text, realizing he was definitely getting high when he couldn't figure out where the send button on the smart phone was all of a sudden. He received a prompt reply: Mokuba assured him he was fine, told him to enjoy himself. What was out of the ordinary was what he tacked onto the end of this generic response.

'I'm glad you're doing something for yourself.'

What was that supposed to mean? Ugh, he couldn't get into it right now. It was late and he was getting stoned. He wished his brother goodnight and put his phone on a glass table a safe distance from the pool, along with the other contents of his pockets. He wasn't planning to leave his jeans on in the pool, but in case he was too high to remember soon, he didn't want to take chances.

He stripped away his undershirt and stood beside Jonouchi, who was definitely high now. His joint was burned nearly to the end and he was staring at his toe as if it was the only thing that ever existed.

"Do you want to swim?" He queried, "I'll make sure you don't drown."

Which, of course, meant that he'd have to lie off the weed until they got back inside safely and soundly. He could manage that.

Jonouchi was too interested in his feet to respond. Something about how oddly shaped they were just caught his attention, and staring at them with a frown on his face, Jonouchi devoted himself to figuring them out. Why did they have nails on them? Why did nails grow? What was the point of nails? Did people really need nails?

It confused him, this biology of all living things. He tried really hard to make sense of it, thinking of everything he was taught in school, but nothing came to mind. Not one single lesson or class. He felt though that it didn't matter.

Feet were beautiful.

"Have you ever just looked at your toes before? Feet are something else. Like mine, the toes are all squished looking and you can see how pale my feet are in comparison to my legs."

He pulled up his leg to show him, blond hair almost undetectable against his fairly tanned skin. Unlike most Japanese, he liked having a darker complexion. It wasn't like he purposely tanned or anything, but Jonouchi did not try to keep himself from growing dark in the sun like some people did. Getting that extra color in made him unique, and the girls actually loved it.

"Being a foot has to be hard though. People are always ignoring you and walking all over you… I mean how awful would it be to always have guys looking down at you? I wouldn't want to be a foot."

"You are so fucking high," Kaiba noted, as if it wasn't obvious, and he couldn't stop himself from laughing. It was very, very funny to him for some reason. When he regained control, he realized that he was at that special point where he was just high enough to be easily amused, but not high enough to start philosophizing about shit like feet. As long as he was in control of his facilities, he was fine. Especially since Jonouchi was probably on his way to being blazed at the moment. His eyes looked fine, and he was coherent, but his pupils were dilated.

"Come on already, let's go swimming," he complained, unable to bear the heat any longer and having enough trouble resisting the water to begin with. He stripped off his pants, leaving only his boxer-briefs, and he slipped into the cool shallow end of the pool with a sigh. It really was very refreshing.

"Are you coming, or did you want to keep worshipping your non-sentient body parts?" He asked, folding his arms on Jonouchi's lap and looking up at him. He noted briefly that he was much more of a touch approacher when high, but he didn't care just now. Jonouchi seemed relaxed, and he wasn't desperate to bum him at the moment, so all was well.

"Why do I have to? Can't I just relax here and figure out what's going with these?"

At this he lifted his wet foot, nearly hitting Kaiba's thigh. He didn't even realize how close the other man was (or how he was on him), his mind somewhere far away as he stared at his big toe. It still boggled his mind that something as small as a foot could carry so much weight.

"Kaiba, you are bossy," he said, poking the man right on the nose, "And no one likes a bossy person. You won't make many friends with that sort of attitude you know, and I'm trying to make you popular here."

Not that there was anyone besides the two of them there.

"You can be funny sometimes, which I guess is good. And you have pretty eyes. If your eyes weren't so pretty, I don't think I'd put up with half the stupid-assed shit you say. Like making fun of me screaming on the roller coaster."

"I didn't make fun of you that much," Kaiba defended, not sure how complemented he should be about his 'pretty eyes'. "I only teased a little. I wasn't trying to burst your bubble."

He wasn't sure how much Jonouchi actually heard, since he suddenly needed to understand all the metaphysical aspects of his foot. It was probably due to the mild hallucinogenic nature of marijuana. He was finding that he was getting very, very relaxed himself, in fact…

"Come on. Get in the pool," he insisted, too high to come up with any good reason to persuade Jonouchi. He started tickling the foot his friend was so fixated on without putting much thought into it. Suddenly, whether or not they were touching didn't seem important. Either his sex drive had gone on vacation, or he'd finally conquered his body.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" Asked Jonouchi, sighing as he splashed Kaiba once good in the face before getting up from the pool's edge. He needed to take off his sweat pants. Once he had tossed them to the side next to the sweater, he thought about maybe getting into the water.

If he got into the water, he'd need a shower again. And he was tired and didn't feel like doing much of anything. Swimming was exhausting, and watching his foot was far better. Hell, watching for airplanes was a pretty good activity too, and staring up at the sky, he lost focus on what he was doing until Kaiba said something again and he answered back, only half aware of his words.

"Give me one good reason to get in the water with you."

Jonouchi by then had taken off his shirt, keeping his butt where it was. His arms were crossed and his stare was a little mean, but he couldn't keep a straight face to save his life. When Kaiba came back toward him, he busted out laughing and clung to the edge.

Kaiba was tempted to just pull Jonouchi into the water, but instead, he wracked his brain for a good reason.

"The water is cool," he stated, "And it's hot out there."

Hopefully Jonouchi heard him over his laughter.

"Just stand in the water. It's refreshing. You already got undressed, anyway. Also you can do cannonballs into pools."

He wasn't sure what he was talking about anymore. It just seemed very important to get Jonouchi into the pool. Speaking of Jonouchi…he looked good. Really good. Wow, maybe he should just look away.

He turned his back and faced the city rather than Jonouchi, and immediately forgot why he'd turned around, so he turned back. Jonouchi was still grinning. Kaiba grinned back. He wasn't sure why.

"Pfft, I'm not going in there. You just want some dumb excuse to get me wet. I know that look, I'm not stupid."

He really didn't want to get in the water. The heat felt nice and being dry was much better than getting wet. Hell, the last time he went under, he almost drowned. Not that Jonouchi was scared per se, but he didn't really enjoy reliving the memory of almost dying.

Even if Kaiba said he'd save him.

"You like me," he teased, "And you're mad because I won't do what you say. Which is funny now that the tables have turned. I don't feel like being nice to you anyways, since I was last night for you."

Kaiba grimaced. He honestly didn't even know what was going on anymore, and was a little miffed that Jonouchi was picking at him. He suddenly felt the urge to lie down, and he climbed out of the pool.

"I'm not trying to do anything," Kaiba insisted, pulling his shirt on and carrying his pants, "But since you're being such a stoner tonight, I'm going to just go inside. You can come in when you want."

He brought the joints with him just in case Jonouchi felt the urge to stay on the roof all night taking hits. He was thinking that Jonouchi didn't hear him or something, but he really wanted to just lie down and think about shit, so he didn't double-check. Instead, he simply made his way to the door, pants in hand, and hoped Jonouchi would come inside so his stoned ass wouldn't fall off the roof.

"Kaiba, come back! Please."

He sounded as pitiful as he felt.

Kaiba turned to look back at Jonouchi.

"What is it?" He asked, "I thought you didn't want to go swimming. Did you change your mind, or are you asking me to sit with you and discuss feet?"

Not that he was opposed to philosophical discussion, but Jonouchi was high as a hat and making no sense. That said, he supposed he'd be a giant prick if he just ditched his friend.

The hell was he thinking?

Maybe he was higher than he thought.

He took a seat beside the blond, still wearing his open button-up and his damp boxers, and he sat quietly, feeling guilty—this assisted by the fact that he was extremely relaxed and nothing was getting in the way of his feelings. Like pride, for instance. Or vindictiveness. Or stubbornness.

"I don't know what I want to do, but I hate smelling like chlorine," mumbled Jonouchi, "It'll make me stink and then you won't like me anymore. That and my hair will get all puffy from getting wet and I'll look like a big retard. You hated me in high school…"

He was rambling. Emotional and not even making sense to himself, he leaned against Kaiba's wet body before crossing his feet. It was a nervous habit of his to also chew on his lip, which he was doing, and as he stared at the city, his mind wandered further.

"-And I don't know why I was so nice to you. One of the rare people I didn't want to beat up, and you still rejected me. I don't get it. It makes my head hurt."

Kaiba stared at the man who was leaning against him, scowling a little.

"I don't care about chlorine," he offered, feeling that Jonouchi was being oversensitive about something that didn't matter, "I don't care if your hair gets puffy, either, and I was a son of a bitch in high school. We're friends now, remember?"

Jonouchi was still avoiding the water, and he was getting the impression that he was doing it for some other reason.

"Are you hydrophobic?" Kaiba queried, suddenly realizing that he was idly stroking Jonouchi's hair and retracting his hand. When had he started doing that? He was too high for this shit.

"The water is only about chest height. You won't drown unless you do it on purpose."

"What's that?" Jonouchi's brain wasn't processing big words. "I just don't like the water… It makes you wet. And I don't feel like getting wet. You look good wet, but not me. I'm better off staying on the edge here… Watching the stars."

Which were really airplanes flying by. Stars weren't visible from the middle of the city.

And when he felt his hair touched, Jonouchi slowly turned his attention over to Kaiba's face, looking a bit confused. He never had seen the man being affectionate before. Sometimes with his brother, but very rarely. He didn't know how to react to that and just stared at him stupidly.

"That feels nice. You should do it more often."

Kaiba watched Jonouchi's face for a moment to ensure he wasn't just teasing, but he looked sincere, so he tentatively resumed stroking. Was it okay for two male friends to do that? Honestly, he didn't know. He hadn't observed many 'normal' people, and he hadn't been taught about these things. Maybe it was fine as long as he didn't get turned on. Or try to touch anything else.

He stared at the water for a short while, stroking Jonouchi's hair, before speaking.

"Jonouchi," he purred, and the other man hummed in response. Kaiba got a good grip on Jonouchi's hair with one hand, and his shoulder with the other.

"Get in the water."

He shoved Jonouchi, hard, and then slipped into the water himself to make sure he didn't drown. He might get his ass kicked for that, but Jonouchi was being a stick in the mud.

However, Jonouchi was too shocked to respond. And upset at the betrayal of trust, he allowed himself to sink to the bottom of the pool, holding his breath stubbornly. His eyes were open and narrowed as he looked in Kaiba's direction, arms crossed like an upset child. Despite being high, the shock of hitting cold water woke him up and he really wanted to get the other man back. Somehow.

Until then, he didn't move from where he was.

How could Kaiba trick him like that? Using hair stroking against him, it was a crime, and one that could never be forgiven. Only the worst sort of people could do that, and apparently Kaiba was one of them.

A shame. Jonouchi had really liked him.

Kaiba pulled Jonouchi above the water, seeing his butthurt expression and deciding that he'd better make some kind of apology. He held Jonouchi above the surface to ensure he wouldn't try to drown himself out of spite.

"I told you it was fine," he muttered, maintaining a firm grip on Jonouchi's shoulders, "I figured you probably needed a little push."

Jonouchi seemed positively irate, and Kaiba followed his first impulse. He was fairly certain that he was acting upon the wrong one, knowing his social inaptitude, but at least he wasn't just standing and staring.

"Don't get pissy," he grinned against his will and ran the fingers of one hand through that soft, wet hair. "I only did it because we're bros."

Wait, what? Jonouchi's mind blanked out when the words came out of Kaiba's mouth. Since when did he talk like that? Maybe he shouldn't get high with others anymore. Certainly not this high. Last time, he was more drunk than actually high. Now, though…

Jonouchi looked at him like he was half retarded before saying anything.

"We're not bros. Honda and I used to be bros. You and I can't be bros. Mostly because you want to get in my pants so badly, but also because… Yeah. We can't be bros."

He didn't move away from Kaiba's hair petting, but he didn't lighten up at all either. His expression was still sore and he had droplets of water coming down from this bangs, dripped onto his nose and eyes. Red rimmed from chlorine and dilated from pot, Jonouchi's eyes looked pretty strange.

And tired.

"If you cared for me, you wouldn't have pushed me in," he whined, looking away from Kaiba's face, "And now I'll have to shower. And my feet won't like that. I'm tired, Kaiba."

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi's ear for no real reason, realizing that he was still wearing his shirt and not actually caring. He was about as high as he wanted to be for the evening, and he had a feeling Jonouchi needed to be showered and put to bed before he passed out on his feet.

"Then do you want to go inside and take a shower?" He offered, genuinely unable to tell what Jonouchi actually wanted. He'd been reluctant to get into the pool, and now he was making no motion to get out. Kaiba resolved not to give him anything that strong again.

"I didn't want to have to take a shower."

Jonouchi was angry, and rightfully so. Turning rapidly away from Kaiba and breaking contact, he walked toward the pool's edge and pulled himself out, forgetting his clothes behind him. Too tired and high to pay anyone else any attention, he just stared at his feet blankly as he made his way back inside.

Somehow he managed not to kill himself while taking a shower. Mostly because he sat in the tub while rinsing off, before climbing out soaking wet. There were huge trails of water all over inside, and after toweling off and putting on his own boxer-briefs for bed, Jonouchi wandered into Kaiba's bedroom, laying down right on top of the sheets.

It wouldn't be long before he'd pass out asleep. And feel utterly stupid in the morning for half the shit he said and did. Mainly because Jonouchi actually liked swimming, before Battle City had occurred. He didn't want people knowing he was scared of water now.

"Kaiba?" He called out, looking around confused.

"I'm here," he replied from the bedroom doorway. He'd been waiting around outside the bathroom to make sure Jonouchi didn't drown in there. Kaiba had been a bit put off when he just stumbled into his room and flopped into bed, but he supposed it was fair enough. He was tired and flying high.

"I'm going to take a shower. If you fall asleep, don't worry about it."

He flipped on the television in the room and conjured up Nick Jr., which was airing Little Bear at present. He hoped it would still be on after his three-minute rinse.

When he returned from the shower, he entered the bedroom in a towel, intending to get clean underwear out of the closet, Jonouchi seemed asleep. He couldn't blame the guy. He was pretty exhausted himself, and zoning out due to the pot.

"Jonouchi?"

"Hmmm?"

Jonouchi had almost fallen asleep lying on his stomach with a pillow over his head. For some reason he felt the need to put it there. When he turned himself so he could look at Kaiba's face, it fell off the bed and landed on the floor. Jonouchi would have tried picking it up, but he was too tired. And there was a good chance that he'd end up falling off the bed.

With everything that had been going on, he knew he shouldn't have been in Kaiba's bedroom either. But feeling emotionally clingy and not himself, he didn't want to leave the other man. And he knew Kaiba wouldn't kick him out either, so as long as neither tried anything funny, he wanted to stay close. And sleep in peace.

There was a talking bear on TV, but he disregarded it. Bears in Japan should only be talking in Japanese. Not English.

"I'm getting into bed, all right? Don't get in a mood about it."

Kaiba turned off the ceiling light and navigated using the light from the television. Jonouchi seemed to be asleep, and he got under the blankets beside him. At first, he simply lay on his back, absently watching the show; then he heard Jonouchi snore a little bit, and it caught his attention. He watched his friend sleep, rather admiring the way his soft, damp hair fell across his face and the way his lips parted when he relaxed.

Maybe he was still lusting after him. It wasn't quite the same as before, though. He thought. But he was high, too, so maybe he was just full of it tonight.

He checked to make absolutely certain that Jonouchi was asleep, and then scooted closer to him, feeling strangely alone without making physical contact. Perhaps he'd been spoiled by the night before. Whatever, he didn't care. He lay on his side facing Jonouchi, resting his arm on him and stroking his golden hair until the repetition lulled him into sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Kaiba blinked his eyes open, and discovered very quickly that he was huddled rather closely to Jonouchi. His face was full of soft yellow hair, which he wasn't necessarily upset about, but it was still awkward. He most definitely had morning wood, and it didn't seem appropriate to be pressing himself against Jonouchi's back under such conditions. Fortunately, Jonouchi didn't seem to be awake.

He rolled onto his back before sitting up and stretching his arms, feeling surprisingly lazy and content, all things considered. Of course, god only knew what would happen after Jonouchi woke up.

He'd already showered just last night, so rather than head directly for that, he brushed his teeth and poured himself some Gatorade in a cup when he got to the kitchen. He was going to be hung over as hell all day if he didn't rehydrate. Jonouchi probably would be, as well, come to think of it. That weed had hit him pretty hard.

He decided to be considerate and poured Jonouchi some of the drink as well, carrying the cup back to the bedroom and hoping he'd be able to rouse the other man from sleep without too much difficulty.

Jonouchi was knocked out asleep, completely unaware even when Kaiba got up. Covered in a heap of blankets, he momentarily woke up to just snatch a pillow and throw it over his head before closing his eyes again. He rarely ever enjoyed such a comfortable bed, so not quite ready to awake up, he decided to sleep in.

Besides, his day before had really drained him of everything. It didn't help that he smoked with Kaiba the night before, and even with his burning desire to eat, sleep conquered over that. Breakfast could wait, and trying to block off the noises of Kaiba brushing his teeth in the bathroom, he groaned before lying on his stomach.

He was still only in his boxer briefs. Not that he really cared, because he was too sleepy to think about Kaiba's queerness and generally didn't give a damn about nudity. It wasn't like he had much to hide, so still clinging to the bed, it didn't matter to him at all if the blankets were laying on him yet only covering half his body.

The only thing that mattered to him was sleep.

So while he slept, Kaiba couldn't help looking. Jonouchi had a nice back. He had to admit that, certainly. His friend was completely passed out, and if munchies weren't making him stir at this point, then he stood little chance. His own stomach felt like it was shrinking up like a dried fruit, and he was so hungry it actually was making him sick.

"Jonouchi," he addressed, standing at the foot of the bed with the cup of Gatorade. He tried to stare at Jonouchi's hair instead of his back. It took a little effort.

"Jonouchi."

No response. No rapid eye movement, no twitching, no change in breathing. Kaiba was beginning to worry, actually, so he decided to make sure he hadn't managed to put Jonouchi in a coma. Sitting at the edge of the bed, he pushed the other man's muscular shoulder blade with two fingers, trying to be as clinical as possible. The last thing he needed was for Jonouchi to wake up having a gay panic.

"Jonouchi, you should drink something."

"What?"

Getting up some, Jonouchi turned over just enough to see Kaiba's profile before face planting against the pillow, groaning once more. His stomach was eating itself alive. He wanted food more than anything, but sleep was calling to him. It was a battle trying to decide what exactly his body needed and Kaiba didn't help.

"Let me sleep. Give me ten minutes," mumbled the blond before turning completely onto his side.

No longer high, he was becoming slightly more aware of himself and just how exposed he probably was to the other man. It was still strange knowing that Kaiba looked at him, but trying to push that to the back of his mind, he closed his eyes and tried to doze off.

But that blue gaze wouldn't allow him to. He could feel the compression of Kaiba's body next to him, and sighing finally and giving up, Jonouchi sat along the bed's headboard and took the glass.

"Thanks…"

"Do you want anything to eat? The room service is at your disposal," Asked Kaiba.

Jonouchi didn't seem to be desperately trying to cover himself up, so at least he was fine with Kaiba seeing him. He couldn't help but take note of how nice his chest looked—stronger and naturally darker in tone than the average Japanese person.

But he didn't let his eyes linger; much as it took conscious effort to avoid staring, he really did want to avoid making Jonouchi uncomfortable. He wasn't ready to throw away what could be a very good friendship for the sake of indulging an attraction. At least it seemed to be subsiding…to a degree. Some of his various and shifting dreams had included remembered images of Jonouchi in the tight black shirt he'd worn the day before, but he was more able to avert his thoughts.

Maybe clearing the air had actually done more good than he thought.

Not to say he felt he'd refuse immediately should Jonouchi ever decide to upgrade their relationship to 'friends with benefits'. Hell, he might even accept an offer like that, if it weren't for the fact that he still clung to the ideal of being with someone with whom he had deep emotional ties, as well.

"I do…," interrupted Jonouchi from Kaiba's thoughts, "Can I get some salmon and rice? I am starving… My stomach feels like it's eating itself. Literally."

He didn't think he was exaggerating about the pain, biting his lip some before remembering that he was wearing hardly any clothes. Normally that wouldn't be a huge deal, but now awake and sort of feeling exposed, Jonouchi wanted to find his clothes.

"So uh, what happened last night? The whole thing is kinda foggy and I don't really remember going to bed. And from the looks of things, you were here too."

Which was kinda weird, all things considered. He didn't understand why Kaiba would be sharing the same bed as him, especially after the whole gay spill. Although Jonouchi wanted to stay friends with him, he didn't want the man thinking their relationship was something that it wasn't. Kaiba's sexual desires for him were something he was still trying to figure out in his head, even after the talk, and he wasn't quite comfortable about the idea of sharing the same bed. Especially while wearing hardly any clothes.

Not that Kaiba would actually do anything. But he would stare, no doubt, and think things that Jonouchi didn't want being thought about him. Or at least, not unless he was purposely teasing him about something, like giving blow jobs.

"That pot was really strong, "answered Kaiba back.

He sent a text to one of the on-duty chefs downstairs as he replied, enjoying the privilege of being the boss and having the ability to get room service without enduring the process of calling anyone.

"It was medical grade. When I think about it, it's shocking you managed as well as you did. You went on about how amazing feet were for a while, and then stripped down to your boxers, and I pushed you into the pool. Then you got upset and took a shower before passing out here. I joined you shortly after."

He was upset that Jonouchi's memory was fuzzy. He'd been banking on the other man remembering the events of the previous night. If he'd known this would happen, he would have slept on the couch or something equally more appropriate. There was no point dwelling on it though, he supposed. It was done now.

And hopefully Jonouchi wouldn't think he tried anything perverted. Or, if he asked about it, hopefully he'd believe the truth.

"Oh, I see. I can't believe this place doesn't have more than one bedroom, in case Mokuba was ever over. Hmm..."

Jonouchi didn't assume the worst out of Kaiba. Tired and thirsty, he climbed out of bed before going to the closet, raiding the clothes his companion kept in there before coming out dressed in jeans and an oversized hoodie again, the shirts too tight to wear all that comfortably. And then he disappeared into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Looking in the mirror, his eyes were still red rimmed. Maybe it was from the pot, but Jonouchi didn't feel like he had gotten enough sleep. All he wanted to do was nap, but he couldn't. Not when his stomach hurt so much, and he was sure Kaiba wanted to do something on their Sunday before he had to go back home.

Back home to loud neighbors and no air conditioning.

"Do you have plans Kaiba?" asked Jonouchi, coming out of the bathroom, "Because I don't have work. And it's a Sunday. Thought maybe you'd want to do something before going back to Kaiba Corp."

"Right now, I'm just waiting for my breakfast to get here. I'm just as hungry as you are. After that…I'm not sure. Usually I do extra work on Sundays."

Kaiba had no idea what Jonouchi might consider 'fun'. They could watch a movie or something, he supposed, but that seemed like it would be more like a…date. He wondered if Jonouchi would have any interest in playing a game with which he was unfamiliar. Even though the other man had called him a 'nerd' when the subject was mentioned previously, perhaps he'd changed his opinion.

"We could play videogames," Kaiba offered, "Either on computers or console. I can teach you how to play Magic: The Gathering, as well. Or we could-"

He cut off, contemplating whether or not he really wanted to say what he was thinking to say.

"-We could play Duel Monsters, if you'd like."

"My head isn't clear enough for something like that. You'd kill me too easily, until I've had some time to awake up."

Jonouchi didn't really do games outside of Duel Monsters (or at least he didn't do them well), and thinking about the opportunities there was to do things, it occurred to Jonouchi that maybe a big geek like Kaiba would enjoy the Domino Science Center. It was one of the best museums in Japan and they were sure to find something fun to see there.

"How about we go to the science center? I haven't been there since high school and I know they have things there you'd like. The IMAX Theater has a show about human development that a friend of mine said was really good."

Kaiba clammed up, not because he was angry, but because he didn't know how to respond and couldn't work one out while trying to make Jonouchi feel comfortable. How could he reply without sounding like an asshole? The fact of the matter was, there was very little likelihood that the museum held anything of novelty for him. He loved science, but he himself had studied it extensively and was developing it in ways that the rest of the world had yet to conceive.

Human development in particular was probably far beneath his level.

But on the other hand, it would be something to do with Jonouchi. It would be like an amusement park, he supposed—not to be visited for any value outside of the intrinsic. Maybe he wouldn't learn anything, but so long as he didn't run his mouth too much about every science thing they saw, it was a potentially good time.

"I like science," he announced, "Let's go to the museum."

"Are you positive you want to go? Because there's other things that we can go do."

Jonouchi didn't like the expression on Kaiba's face he made while bringing it up. Sometimes the blond was very perceptive, and frowning a little, he wondered how exactly he failed at finding something for the other man to do. The plan sounded flawless in his head. Medical was something completely different from what Kaiba experienced at work, so it had to be interesting, right?

"There's an art museum too… And baseball. Although I'm sure you don't care much about sports. I know there's also an aquarium and zoo…"

"Art is fascinating, but being in an art museum doesn't really appeal to me. I don't have the patience for baseball, unfortunately. I do find animals interesting, but I don't enjoy seeing them in pens or performing tricks for peoples' amusement."

He tapped his chin thoughtfully, feeling like kind of a bitch for disapproving of every suggestion put forth. He simply did not have a high tolerance for things outside his interests.

"Do you think there's a gaming convention going right now? Not a major one, obviously, otherwise I'd be there at a panel."

"No."

Jonouchi was beginning to become irritated. Grumpy and hungry, he went looking for his smokes in the room before heading towards the balcony. It wasn't like he was trying to be rude, but he hated having all his ideas shot down because of one reason or another. It bothered him, and smoking was the most soothing way of dealing with his daily social irritations.

Taking out a slim cigarette once again, he lit the end before taking a deep inhale, closing his eyes while letting the wispy white smoke out from between his lips. Domino was laid out before him, the KC tower nearby, and leaning against the rail, his eyes narrowed as he looked upon it.

"I don't get him at all."

He didn't know if Kaiba was near, but he doubted it. The man hated cigarette smoke, and needing that fix every two to three hours, he didn't think he'd come stand next to him while he did it. Jonouchi certainly didn't expect him to, when he could avoid the cancerous fumes in the safety of his own hotel room.

Jonouchi was right, Kaiba stood in the living room for a short while, feeling rather rejected. He didn't like being ditched under any circumstances, and he had a personal principle against following people who ditched him. That said, he ended up following Jonouchi after a few minutes—and after putting on some pants, which he had thus far failed to do that morning.

He stubbornly approached the other man and stood right beside him, upwind of the cigarette smoke he was blowing. For a few moments, he was deliberately silent. Then he felt a rare flash of true insecurity—which, he realized, may have been what he felt in the first place, and he hadn't been able to place it. An idea came to him, and he decided to brave up and voice it before the silence became too thick.

"Do you want to go to the Kaiba Mansion?"

"Yes. I'd like to."

That was just the idea Jonouchi was waiting to hear. Tossing his cigarette off the ledge, he turned and gave Kaiba an easy smile before heading back inside to get the food that was ordered. Salmon with sauce and sticky rice sounded amazing, and he was sure that his companion probably ordered a bunch of other things to go along with it, since it was kind of late in the morning and lunch would make no sense being so close to noon already.

But it wasn't his place to open the door. Instead, he laid out on the couch cat like, sprawled out on his stomach waiting for Kaiba to return with food. His expression was rather sad and pathetic looking, and taking off his sweater and using it as a head pillow; he kept his eyes on Kaiba while trying to keep the pain in his stomach tolerable.

"I'm so hungry…"

Kaiba felt confused and a little manipulated by Jonouchi's sudden mood swing and change of focus, but that was assuming Jonouchi had a manipulative bone in his body. Seeing the other man sprawled on the couch, using his new hoodie as a pillow and looking like a half-starved dog made him less offended.

He let the room service know they could come up the elevator, and when the server arrived, Kaiba left her a tip and carried the tray of food to the coffee table by the couch. Jonouchi immediately grabbed a pair of chopsticks and his bowl of salmon and rice, predictably. Kaiba used his own pair of sticks to place several things in the bowl of steamed rice he'd ordered for himself. He wanted enough food to fill both of them, and he'd ordered a plate of spicy tuna sushi, egg rolls, pot stickers, tempora, and some pork with sauce.

Honestly, he probably wouldn't eat very much, and the rest should fill Jonouchi, surely.

"Take as much food as you want," he offered, realizing it was supposed to be good manners to do so. "What did you want to do when we go to the Kaiba Mansion? I have a variety of entertaining things available, but I'm not sure what you have in mind."

"I want to see your fish," asked Jonouchi, taking a spicy tuna piece into his mouth, "And see that library of yours."

Books didn't interest Jonouchi, but he thought Kaiba probably had a collection of novels that varied in languages and age. It would be interesting to see old volumes and collector's editions, as well as pages written in the tongues of the world. Only knowing a little English outside of Japanese, he could tolerate American English, and other familiar texts, but not anything else. He didn't pick it up fast either, and it was only because of Anzu's enthusiastic tutoring did he learn anything at all.

"Is there anything you want to show me in particular, Kaiba?"

"Well, unless you feel like watching me show off my in-dev technology or my computers, then…no. You have complete free choice as to what we do at my house, except my study. No one is allowed in there."

He hoped he didn't sound snippy. It was simply a rule that no one was allowed in his study. Everything in there was close and personal. Everything.

"It isn't a matter of trust," he explained, having some difficulty doing so, "I don't even let Mokuba in my study. It's simply too personal."

He couldn't explain it much better than that. In all honesty, if he ever found his soul mate, they would probably be the only person who got to see the creative dump that was his home office. He went in there to do drugs and develop things in peace. He wasn't really an artist in the traditional drawing sense, and his raw concept art and game ideas made him absolutely embarrassed. Not to mention, the study was the only place where he drew and stored written schematics. He wouldn't let anyone see those things. It was like exposing his thoughts and feelings at a very personal level.

"I'm not offended, why would I want to go in there?" Said Jonouchi, scoffing and rolling his eyes, "Pftt. That doesn't interest me."

Most academia things did not appeal to Jonouchi, and private studies went along side it. Kaiba seemed to have it under lock and key too, which meant nothing of any good was probably in there. Probably just expensive ass drugs, concept art, and private business deals were in there. Maybe his winning deck too. But nothing Jonouchi wanted or was all that curious about.

Really, he just wanted to see where Kaiba lived. For many years he was curious about it, only having heard about the Kaiba Mansion in passing. It was one of the largest houses in Domino, and it didn't even feature Japanese architecture. The design of the entire thing caused quite a scandal, looking like some European manor home right out of England.

"I think I've gone past your gate a few times, back in high school. Honda and I used to wander about where you lived, so we would go by on our bikes and look. Couldn't ever see past the guard walls, but yeah. We certainly tried."

"My neighborhood is a long way out," Kaiba noted before munching an eggroll. To get to Kaiba Mansion, one was required to drive through the corporate sector, where all the headquarter buildings were clustered, and then drive past the places where the wealthier people lived; then there was a good stretch of nothing before the large estates came into view. The Kaiba Mansion was one of them. His closest neighbor was five miles away.

Rich people liked their space, evidently.

"I'll give you a tour. Anything that catches your interest along the way is probably fair game. Just don't touch anything that's on display or hanging from a wall. My house is a little like a museum in that respect."

"I'm not a kid Kaiba; I'm not going to just be touching everything that my eyes see…"

Jonouchi rolled his eyes before taking an egg roll as well, dipping it in the sweet and sour sauce before breaking the shell with his teeth. Usually he never got to eat like this, having so many options in front of him to enjoy. Normally he had to have the same boring cheap foods every day, because he didn't make enough money to really indulge. Being around Kaiba was very different in those regards, and he wasn't shy about inhaling the food in front of him.

"I just really want to see your koi pond… and maybe feed them if you'll let me. Never got a chance to have pets before, since my mother thought I wouldn't take care of them."

"Heh," Kaiba laughed, "You are like a kid. But that's fine—you can feed the fish. Actually, I've wanted to get a Weimaraner dog for years, but I don't have time to keep one…I'm interested in having pets. Unfortunately, the only ones I can manage are fish, since all they need is someone to feed them once a day. I don't even do that."

He huffed a little, remembering how much research he'd put into dog breeds, and subsequently, the Weimaraners, only to come to grips with the fact that he simply had too much work to do.

Then again, if he kept up a work schedule like the one he'd been doing since Jonouchi entered the picture, maybe he would. It would depend upon how heavy his workload was, but working ten to six would certainly leave him time.

He couldn't predict the future. One step at a time, he supposed. For now, he had to concentrate on getting through his meal so he could take Jonouchi to his house.

"Yeah, I used to want a dog too, a while ago," replied Jonouchi, "Couldn't get one for obvious reasons, but I still want one eventually. Didn't look into dog breeds that much, but I always thought an Akita or something would be really cool. Something I could rough house with...

I like fish, but you can't play with them. That's their only drawback, I suppose. They're pretty to look at, but that's about it."

And still fighting is hunger; he took another spicy tuna slice before getting a glass of water.

"I prefer other large dogs," Kaiba responded after eating some of his rice, "German breeds in particular. If they didn't require so much time and attention, I would probably have one."

He ate another eggroll. An Akita? They were too bouncy for his liking. But everyone had their preferences.

He tried to construct in his head the order in which he'd show Jonouchi the rooms of the Mansion. Obviously, the foyer would be first. Then they could enter the greenhouse that was just off to the right, so Jonouchi could get his fill of the koi. After that…

He wasn't sure. They'd have to wing it, he supposed.

"Will you bring me a glass of water?" He requested, hearing Jonouchi rummaging around in the kitchen.

"There's nothing wrong with Akitas, Kaiba…"

Rolling his eyes, he just did what he was asked. Kaiba seemed to be a bit of a snob about dogs, but it didn't matter. It wasn't like either of them was going to get pets anytime soon, so it wasn't an issue. Just silly that he wrote off a very independent and loyal breed he happened to know nothing about. Oh well.

Coming back with the water, he gave it to Kaiba before laying out back on the couch. Before going anywhere, he'd need his stomach to settle. He had eaten a lot of food, and feeling a bit out of it after the night before, he laid there and stared at Kaiba as the other man ate, not coming up with anything to say to him at first.

"How often do you get high, Kaiba?"

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi as he finished his mouthful, debating whether or not he wanted to answer the question. Anything he might say sounded bad in some context or another.

"Lately I haven't done it very much," he began hesitantly, "One blunt every other week or so. I drink more often—at least once each week."

He tapped his index finger on the coffee table before continuing, deciding that he may as well continue his narration.

"A few months ago, I got high far more often. I used psychedelics bi-weekly and smoked pot several times a week. I've tapered off since then."

It had been expensive and risky to get his hands on drugs that often, anyway. He didn't really miss being high every evening. Now it was something he did when he was having a quiet evening to himself for one reason or another. It made him relaxed on particularly hard days, or helped him release stress when masturbating didn't cut it.

Jonouchi's face fell but he didn't say anything at first, just thinking over Kaiba's answer. It didn't make any sense to him why someone who had everything would need drugs. He had always believed if he was in Kaiba's shoes, he'd be pretty darn happy. No longer would he have to worry about financial problems and his father's debt would be paid off. Hell, maybe his mother would start speaking to him again if she knew he was rich.

But who knew what was going on in Kaiba's psyche. He kept so much of his history a secret, which was unfortunate, since the man couldn't seem to get over parts of it. Maybe it had to do with Gozaburo, although Jonouchi knew very little about him. Being stuck in the virtual world left him with more questions than answers, and still hoping for some sort of explanation one day, he just thought over it before turning his attention back on his companion.

"But I don't get why you'd want to do that to yourself. I mean, sure, I've fucked myself with drugs plenty of times, but that was because I was surrounded by the stuff. Used to sell it, back in the day. But you… You had to have sought them out."

And that made no sense to Jonouchi.

Kaiba stared at his empty bowl, unwilling to meet Jonouchi's eyes for a while. How could he openly admit that he'd been weak? That he'd broken under the burdens of his responsibility and couldn't handle the mental strain? It was something he'd barely been willing to admit to himself, let alone Jonouchi. Certainly, it would be difficult to explain just what his first world problems were in comparison to the rocky life the other man had been saddled with.

"I couldn't handle everything," he offered as explanation, his eyes cold and unreadable—his mask of apathy was his greatest defense when he felt insecure. If he could cover it up with ice, then he could convince himself for at least a short time that he didn't feel the more crippling emotions that he did.

"Work was too long and too stressful. Mokuba was growing up, and I didn't know what to do with him. My mind was plagued with nightmares and memories I didn't want to deal with."

Jonouchi could sense that this topic was making Kaiba feel uncomfortable. The way his body tensed up and how his voice began to sound more restricted, Jonouchi knew that maybe it was time to change the topic. Not that he wasn't curious about what his friend was going through, but it really wasn't his business. Kaiba probably didn't want to talk about it, and not looking for a fight that day, Jonouchi decided to let the issue drop. When his companion was ready to talk about it, he'd be ready with a listening ear.

But until then, it wasn't appropriate to get into.

"I'm sorry about the stress. That must be very difficult to deal with. The good thing is though; I have a great way to deal with it that's completely free. Come over here."

Sitting up, Jonouchi straightened his body as he sat on the couch with his knees, opening his legs wide as he pointed to the spot underneath him. Hopefully Kaiba would understand what he was motioning for, because he had a good surprise for him if not.

Which he didn't. Kaiba's brow creased as he stared in the direction Jonouchi was pointing. It took him a longer than he would have liked to figure out what was going on. If he himself was making a gesture like that, he'd be asking (rudely) for oral sex.

Maybe Jonouchi was asking for oral sex.

Then again, that wouldn't hold a whole lot of stress relief for him, would it? Still a little unsure, and not knowing what Jonouchi's plan actually was, he approached the indicated position and sat in front of the couch. He stared up at Jonouchi with his head tilted in the hopes of getting an explanation.

He was guided to turn around, and for a moment he simply stared confusedly at the empty plates on the table; then there were hands on his shoulders, and he jerked, but he soon discovered that he was not under attack.

"A massage?" He queried in mild disbelief, still not quite sure if that was the case.

"Why else would I be sitting like this? Relax, stupid."

Snickering, he started putting his hands down Kaiba's shirt and found his trapezius muscles, starting there. They were tight and strong, which wasn't very surprising. Kaiba was a strong guy, and although he wasn't thick with body mass, he was still in good shape. Better shape in fact than most men, enough that Jonouchi would have thought twice about picking a fight with him. Sure, his muscle mass was leaner than his own, but he probably had endurance. Something Jonouchi lacked.

And touching his skin with his hands, it was surprising just how soft he felt. Most guys, although Jonouchi wasn't studying them, had rather rough skin. They didn't bother taking care of it and usually abused themselves pretty badly with the sun. Jonouchi was one of them, but luckily for him his skin naturally darkened into a rather pretty color instead of turning leathery and burnt.

Kaiba was fair with clear skin. It was beautiful, and slightly jealous of it, Jonouchi furrowed his brows as he tried not to think too much of it.

The situation was odd for Kaiba. As happy as he was to have an excuse for Jonouchi to touch him in a platonic context, he wasn't quite sure how he felt about having someone behind him pressing their fingers into his back. He knew consciously that Jonouchi wouldn't harm him at this point, but it still took some coaxing from his friend's talented hands to make him actually relax into the massage.

He was glad he did. Jonouchi's fingers were strong and firm, but didn't press so deeply against his strain-hardened trapezius to cause pain. He sighed, feeling a bit of a tingle at the connection of their bare skin, but otherwise not overly concerned with the physical. He was too paranoid to close his eyes, and he felt a little guilty for it, but at least he wasn't on edge anymore.

Jonouchi shifted his thumbs to the back of his neck and started rubbing. It almost felt like he was somehow funneling away the strain that had collected in his vertebrae.

"I have no idea how you're doing that," he muttered, "Just keep doing it."

"Yeah, I figured you'd enjoy this… Used to give massages a lot, for whatever reason. It was an excuse to touch girls without being called a pervert, which sounds pretty bad I guess. Ha ha, but it worked and I guess all that practice is paying off for you, am I right?"

He took Kaiba's inaudible response as a yes. His body was really stiff and a bit hard to work on properly, which Jonouchi didn't find all that surprising. The man carried so much weight on his shoulders, and if he was indulging in drugs as much as he said he was, it meant that he didn't know how to deal with his stress. That he was carrying it in his body and was allowing it to drag him down, which wasn't good. If he didn't find a better outlet for dealing with things, he'd burn himself out or lose his mind. Whichever came first.

"Massaging the head relieves migraines and headaches. It gets the blood flowing, so you should tell me the next time you're having issues."

He worked on the man's body for some time before slowing down, his own fingers becoming sore from the effort. Letting them onto Kaiba's shoulder blades, he just gently rubbed his skin there, keeping the blood running, feeling pretty pleased over his work.

"You need to get this done more often."

Kaiba stopped the quiet rumbling noises that were escaping his chest to address the question. His eyes were shut now, and he left them that way. He didn't feel like opening them just yet.

"I'd have to lie on my stomach in a towel while a stranger kneaded their fingers into my back," he complained, "I don't trust anyone that much, really. You're a special case, and Mokuba has never shown an interest in massaging my back, so I doubt I'll continue this in the near future."

His back felt so light. He hadn't even known it was heavy before, but now everything was relaxed. He was grateful for the momentary reprieve from his strain, and it occurred to him that he should probably find some way to repay Jonouchi for it.

Then he remembered that he'd paid for a lot of stuff, let him stay in his hotel room and visit his park for free, fed him, bathed him, and let him smoke his expensive weed. That thought came off as vindictive to him, though. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but feel that all those things had been a sort of trade for Jonouchi's company and tolerance.

"I can't remember the last time I didn't have a headache," he mused, more to himself than to Jonouchi, "It's quite refreshing."

"Well I'm not going to do this with you half naked or anything, but if you want another massage, all you need to do is ask. I don't mind doing it for you, since you obviously need it. You're so damn stiff. Really, you need to learn how to relax better Kaiba, before you die at thirty from a heart attack or some other crazy ass thing like it."

He didn't take his hands off right away. Still rubbing on the other man's skin, he didn't stop because the motion of it was rather relaxing. Sure, he wasn't the one getting the rub down, but touch was nice. All people needed to be touched at least three times a day to feel loved, but for Jonouchi, he preferred usually do it himself. It didn't bother him too much that Kaiba was a guy, a guy who was currently lusting after him, since he didn't see what he was doing as sexual. It was just a favor between friends…

Kinda.

Jonouchi would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he enjoyed this for personal reasons. That there was something satisfying about touching Kaiba in particular just like when he used to trick those girls into the same thing. Sure, he wasn't trying to make an excuse to get his hands on him like last time, but it still gave him a rather light fluttering feeling in his stomach when he did it.

Whatever that meant.

"You're too young for chronic headaches, Kaiba. Really, you need to chill out."

"I can't help the headaches. I think a lot," Kaiba defended, "Relaxing isn't something I know how to do voluntarily."

Under the influence of drugs or Jonouchi's hands, it was easy to relax. His body desired the relief, and the opportunity to find it couldn't be passed up. But if he tried to do it without some outside force being involved, something always got him stirring again. Either his thoughts wandered to places he didn't want them to go, or he'd start to feel exposed and vulnerable and tense himself up. He didn't even know what it was he thought he was exposed to.

"You'd really do this again?" He asked, absently rubbing his shoulder now that Jonouchi had stopped, "I didn't really expect you to be that courteous."

Certainly, it wasn't something that people would normally offer for free—especially to someone as hard to deal with as he was. That said, he wasn't going to turn down the opportunity. It didn't require as much effort as getting high, and the human touch was valuable.

"Sure. After everything you've done for me, I see no reason why not. Now if you'd let me massage your head, you'd be purring like a cat for me. You really need this, Kaiba, you're far too young and don't really take care of yourself all too well."

Not that Jonouchi did any better for himself. A chronic chain smoker who used to pick fights with armed gangsters and often went against them without any weapons of his own... He had the knife mark on his back to prove it along with plenty of other small scars, but hey, he thought he could handle it. It didn't matter to him all that much if he got hurt, since he was tough and pain was easy enough to deal with. Pain hadn't caused him to cry since he broke his arm, and wanting to stay tough, Jou didn't stray from it.

But it wasn't very good for him. He knew he had no respect for himself or his body, but ignoring those thoughts, Jonouchi kept bugging Kaiba about his. It didn't seem right to him that someone who had everything was treating himself so poorly. If things had been different, Jou told himself he would have cared. He would have had something to care about.

"If anything, think of the example you're setting for your brother."

"That was a low blow," Kaiba grumbled, displeased at the pang of mild guilt he felt when his brother was mentioned. "I take care of myself well enough to manage my workload."

Or maybe he didn't. He hadn't put much thought into it because it didn't seem to matter. He'd been trained into the idea that if he wasn't dead, he was strong enough to keep working. So he worked until he couldn't anymore, and then he went to bed.

"And you can hardly talk, considering you're ha—"

His last word died in something between a moan and a sigh of relief when Jonouchi's hands started rubbing circles on his forehead. His eyes closed, and he was tempted to start purring for the hell of it, but he decided against that.

"Sure I smoke," scoffed Jonouchi, "But I hardly have anything to live for, so it's not a huge deal. Unlike you, I don't have half the country relying on my existence. Or siblings, for that matter."

Kaiba had such thick hair. He didn't really know why he started touching it, but now he didn't want pull away from it all. It was soft and full, not unlike his own, only darker and not quite as long. The man's hair seemed to settle at the back of his neck, but it looked much neater than it used to be back in high school. It didn't go past touching the collar, and massaging the scalp, Jonouchi wondered if anyone had actually ever done this for him.

"You wouldn't get as many brain cramps if you'd relax. Trust me, you'd feel much better and it would probably help out with your work if you weren't so damn stressed all the time. I don't see why you couldn't get someone professional to do this, because then it would feel even better."

"I don't like being touched by strangers. You're doing well enough, in my opinion. And who says you have nothing to live for? Your life is just as valuable as mine."

He was beginning to really dislike Jonouchi's low opinion of himself. It made him uncomfortable to think that someone so optimistic and defiant had become that way. He wished there was something he could say or do, but knowing his own issues, it would likely be futile.

"I don't like the responsibility, anyway," he complained, grimacing even though he was still enjoying the treatment, "Everything I do has sociological impact, however small. The pressure is going to drive me insane. Some days I want to say fuck it and just give up."

That said, he always managed to push a little further when he reached that point. Every ounce of his being was repulsed at the idea of giving up without a fight.

"You have far too many people looking up to you to do that," Jonouchi said back, "I mean just think of all those kids you help out at KaibaLand. And those new duelists who model themselves after you, and your employees… You can't just quit when you've gotten so far. Kaiba, you have the entire country, if not the world, at your feet. I know it can't be easy trying to juggle all that responsibility, but I'd rather you be doing it than anyone else."

And that was his honest opinion. Sure, he didn't always like him or trust him on a personal level, but Kaiba always did what was best for his company. For the people who worked in his company. The charities he ran and the kids who depended on his influence to protect them.

It was disheartening to hear that he wanted to just quit.

"Besides, things always get worse before they get better. I'll stop with my friendship speech now."

"It's okay," Kaiba murmured, though he still felt a little embarrassed, "I don't get very much personal encouragement. My usual strategy is facing opposition with sheer drive and determination. It's tiring, but…it keeps me going.

In all honesty, I've contemplated just throwing myself off the roof on occasion in the past, but I know I won't. I'm too stubborn, I suppose. I do need a lot of stress reliever, though."

He was surprised to hear Jonouchi say all the things he had, but he was honestly a little flattered. He became very quiet, not sure what to say in response, and too embarrassed to express gratitude.

He wished he didn't have the responsibility. He really did. But it was something he'd taken upon himself, however unwittingly, and he didn't trust anyone else to do his job. Perhaps Mokuba would be able to inherit the company someday, but for now, he was the only person fit to run it. Heaven forbid he should die early.

He'd taken that into account as well, however. He updated his will quarterly to ensure nothing would go too horribly wrong should he meet an untimely death…

"You should be good for now, though," said Jonouchi, letting go of the man's hair before pulling up his legs to sit cross legged on the couch, "And whenever you need it again, just ask. I don't mind. Unlike you, I don't have a problem with touching people."


	13. Chapter 13

It was almost noon and high time to go over to Kaiba's mansion before it got too late. Especially since Jonouchi would need to get home before it got dark, since he had work the next day. Nothing he was looking forward to, honestly, but if he wanted to pay the bills, he'd have to suck it up and go. Jonouchi was lucky enough that he had a job and he couldn't afford to lose it. Not with the type of debt he was burdened with.

"If we're going to your house now, uh, you're going to drive, right?" He asked.

Limos intimidated him. He didn't like the idea of someone driving him all over the place even if he was a terrible driver himself. The black vehicles just looked too elitist for him to actually enjoy, unlike a sports car. Those were at least fast and stylish looking, even if he couldn't afford to have one.

"Of course. Otherwise I'd be leaving my car here," Kaiba gave Jonouchi a slightly condescending look. It seemed like a very stupid question. "Just follow me downstairs."

Jonouchi had all his things together, so Kaiba led the way silently. He wasn't in a mood, particularly, but he didn't know what to say and routinely failed at small talk. It made things kind of awkward, though, and eventually the silence in the elevator got to him.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" He asked, figuring it wouldn't hurt to get some of the evening planned before they got to his house.

"I guess that's only fair, since I cooked for you last time. Although it wasn't a very good dinner … Only problem is, I need to be back at my apartment before dark. And you don't really like going through that side of town, so I don't know how exactly that will work out unless your driver can drop me off or something."

He didn't take offense to Kaiba's discomfort at being there. It was an ugly, ratty area of town that no one willingly came to. Most people did all they could to avoid it, since crime was so high and the cops did nothing to fix it.

"Also don't want to impose on you too much. I know you like your privacy."

"Well, we're "friends", right?" said Kaiba back, "I suppose that means you're part of my private circle."

He hadn't given that much thought, but seeing as he had no issue taking Jonouchi to his hotel and his house, it followed that he didn't feel too imposed upon.

"I can easily have you home before dark. I'll drive you back. If I actually pay some attention to where I'm going this time, I'll be fine."

He didn't like the idea of Jonouchi walking around there alone. The whole neighborhood looked like a spot for gangs to patrol in the evenings, and even at sunset Jonouchi could be in danger. So what if someone saw him getting attacked? It didn't mean they'd help or even call the police.

And if they did call the police, there wasn't a guarantee the police would ever arrive. Much less arrive in time to assist.

His brow was creasing, and soon he was flat out scowling. It seemed he was already stressing himself out again, and he had to force his muscles to relax. It'd be a waste of a good massage if he kept this up so soon.

"If you say so," replied Jonouchi, "Just give me your cell phone number in case you get lost, so I can give you directions back to the main roads. I don't want you being hijacked or some shit like that. People are crazy in that part of town."

It would be a good idea for Kaiba not to drive one of his more fancy cars down over there either. People would take noticed. They'd pay more attention than Jonouchi would want them too, and if they knew he had a rich friend, well… Things could turn ugly. His old friends were not above kidnapping and holding at ransom.

"If you can, drive an older car down there. Something that won't attract attention. I don't want people wondering why there's some quarter of a million dollar car parked outside of my apartment building, people will start asking me questions…"

Sighing, Jonouchi realized he really needed to get out of there. Somehow. If only he had more money.

"Fuck it, I really should just take the bus home and spare you the drama."

"The Genesis is a twenty thousand dollar car. It just looks sporty. But I'll humor you. I have a less conspicuous vehicle for situations such as this. I'll drive you home. And don't worry; I know shade when I see it. I'm smart. If you really still want my number, you can have it. I want to stay in touch anyway."

He was climbing into the driver's seat now, realizing that he was being a tad commanding, but for the life of him he didn't feel the need to tone it down.

Jonouchi got away with living in his neighborhood because he was tough, smart, and never remained in one place any longer than he had to. Some of it was also good luck, and eventually that sort of thing would run out. He had avoided the worst people in the area because he knew where everyone was and with who they were hanging around at that time of night (he still had a few distant friends who cared), but his life was not relaxed there.

However, Jonouchi generally didn't mind. Growing up in that atmosphere made him believe that it was normal, and he didn't give it a second thought being home before dark and not going by the same roads more than twice in one week. It was what he was already used to.

"What kind of car?" Asked Jonouchi, as he got into the passenger seat.

He really liked cars. Especially the Ferrari Kaiba had somewhere, all red and flashy. It was the sort of vehicle he could only dream of one day having.

"I'll drive the Chevy I think. It won't draw too much attention. It's an inexpensive car, and not exactly considered a performance vehicle."

He was sure a twelve-year-old Impala would be less conspicuous than his Hyundai or Ferrari. Hopefully it wouldn't cause Jonouchi too much trouble. If his neighborhood was anything like the way it sounded, then some of the punks around the place might grow suspicious of him when he was dropped off. He didn't want anyone to think he was Jonouchi's 'John' or whatever the term was.

Come to think of it, they may have to be careful about how often they saw one another. He'd never forgive himself if something happened.

They were passing the center of the city. The Kaiba Corporation tower had people rushing in and out, and from a distance, they looked rather like a bunch of busy ants. Even more so from the CEO's office at the top. But everything looked very insignificant from up there. He was sure that had been done purposely.

"Hmm… I'd love to live in Anzu's old neighborhood," mused Jonouchi, "It was just perfect. Nearly all new couples with babies and shit. Everyone's so happy there and she had a bakery near her house, but it's super expensive in that area. Nearly everyone there is college educated and married."

Anzu certainly had an easier lifestyle than Jonouchi. It was a shock that she even went to Domino High instead of some better elite private school, but her parents said that she could only appreciate what she had if she understood how others lived.

Which she did. The girl never put on airs, and although Jonouchi didn't invite her to his apartment (it was too dangerous), she always was inviting him. Thinking about it really made him miss her, if only because she was such a good friend. It helped too that she was so pretty and had a rather defiant personality, but he'd never tell her that.

"Ryou just lived in some upscale apartments, but his father's a professor. He probably has money coming out of everywhere, so that's not surprising. Especially with that collection of games he has. You'd think he never leaves his bedroom from everything he has stored up in there."

"Does he still live there?" Kaiba asked, "I assume the majority of your friends are unavailable for one reason or another. Why did they up and leave all of a sudden?"

It seemed strange to him. They had always emphasized friendship, and he personally would have felt betrayed if they'd all just…left. Hell, he'd felt betrayed when Atem left just like that. Disappearing so briskly with little more than a casual goodbye…

That said, perhaps the distance didn't matter to them. Maybe the whole friendship schtick meant that they didn't need to be together all the time to remain close—as it was with siblings and close family most times.

"I know you said Yugi is in America still. What happened to everyone else? Do you still keep in touch?"

"They all kinda went their own separate paths," replied Jonouchi, "Honda's trying to get into police academy, last I checked. Dueling was never his thing and I know he's glad to be done with it all, since it seemed like the world was about to end every other month. He's glad to have a normal life again and I think he's seeing Shizuka, but I don't know. We don't really talk much anymore.

Ryou is hoping to go back overseas soon. His dad is retiring from where ever he was and I don't think he wants to stay in Japan after everything that happened. This is like a place full of bad memories for him, even if he was friends here. I don't know. He always kinda kept us at a distance, so I'm not surprised that he wants to leave.

Anzu's in New York, but you already knew that.

Uh… Mai's married. Otogi has a game shop in California that's been doing well and he's Yugi's sponsor for duels… One of many I guess. They help each other out a lot, and I wanted to help with them, but it didn't really work out. I'm not much of a crowd favorite like Yugi was, so yeah.

I guess that's everyone."

"I find it strange that you weren't that popular," Kaiba muttered, "Everyone likes an underdog…and you were always charismatic."

He still remembered the time during the Grand Prix when Jonouchi had been trying so hard to make more of an impression on the audience, only to fight and lose an embarrassingly short duel against Sigfried Schroeder. Of course, he'd been distracted by the fact that he was being assaulted by jets of fire, but a win was a win. Considering harder fights Jonouchi had won (out of tournaments), the whole things came as a bit of a surprise.

"Are we really the only ones who stayed?" He asked, "I suppose I can understand trying to escape bad memories, but most of the shit we went through happened in America and Egypt. That 'Doom' cult in particular did most of their damage in the West."

Which Kaiba was blamed for, but that was a whole other can of worms.

"Yeah well, it is what it is. I'm not bitter about it; I'll find something else better to do, when something comes to me. It just won't be dueling, and that's fine really. I'd never manage to be the best with Yugi around anyways.

Only Bakura is trying to escape. He wants to go back to Europe. Since that demon's gone from him, I guess he can go and fix whatever issues he left at home. Which makes sense, because I don't think he ever felt at home here anyways. Honda's still here though, just doesn't have time to visit me all that much."

He found it surprising that Kaiba actually thought he had a chance at dueling. Not because Jonouchi didn't think he did, but because he actually was standing up for him. Kinda. None of the major sponsors wanted to back him up, but if he had Kaiba Corp supporting him… Well, things would have been different.

Kaiba thought quietly to himself for a few moments. He felt like something was wrong with the whole situation. Jonouchi's friends were gone, he was stuck in a rut, and he didn't know what he wanted to do except 'go to college', though he didn't seem sure for what he wished to attend.

"Have you considered being an actual massage therapist?" Kaiba queried, realizing that it might be a plausible idea. At least Jonouchi would be making more money than he was now. Even if he didn't make a lifelong career out of it, it would pay for college. And possibly a nicer place to live.

"You're good at it. Frankly, you're good at whatever you put the time into doing. It could hold far better fiscal opportunities for you than your current job."

He paused, trying to pretend it was because he was making a sharp turn and not because he was hesitant.

"And you'd be able to live somewhere at least a little safer."

"I don't know, it sounds like a girl's job, having to touch old men all day so they can get their kicks. Ugh. I'd rather stay broke than do something like that, no offense. Don't worry about my problems, I'll figure it out on my own."

Massage therapist meant going to school anyways. He had thought about being a personal trainer, but he didn't know if there was really a market for them in Domino, Japan. Back in California where everyone worked out and played sports, it sounded like a good way to go.

But he just didn't know where exactly to go with it. And working like that in an office would be a little hard. He liked staying active. Jonouchi hated feeling trapped, and tapping his foot on the bottom of Kaiba's car, he thought about it before speaking.

"I might try personal trainer or something like that, now that you mention it."

They'd reached the outskirts already, partly due to the fact that Kaiba was speeding. They'd already passed all the large business headquarters and were driving past expensive homes. They'd be perhaps another fifteen minutes getting to Kaiba Mansion now.

"I suppose you'd be in less danger. You'd just have to keep…doing whatever it is you do that makes you so cut and tell other people how to make themselves look like you."

Something about the idea of Jonouchi as a personal trainer almost made him fantasize. Almost. He managed to resist the thought.

"I've never backed away from a job that entailed a little risk and physical pain, so why would this be any different? It wouldn't be too bad, getting paid to make other people get in shape. Hell, I love the gym and I'd go if I had the money to… Even if that meant queers like you staring at me the whole time, ha."

He wasn't oblivious to the look on Kaiba's face, and turning back to stare out the window, he was trying to hide his smirk. The idea of being paid to look good and make other people look like him was appealing. Especially since he didn't have to work all that hard to stay fit, and if his father wasn't so heavily into drugs and alcohol, he would have looked the same way as him.

The houses they were driving past were huge. They didn't even look Japanese. Several of them had more European influences to them, and staring out the window, it made Jonouchi wonder.

"Was Gozaburo completely Japanese? These houses look like they belong in Europe…"

"He wasn't full-blooded," Kaiba stated quietly, wishing to avoid the subject of his late 'father' whenever possible, but not wanting to snap at Jonouchi. Yet.

"He was part British. Mostly British, perhaps. But he was born here in Japan and had a very nationalist attitude about it."

The last bit was said with a little more venom than may have been needed, but it was unavoidable when discussing Gozaburo. An enemy would always be an enemy—especially when they were one such as his adoptive father.

He realized he was choking the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white, and he eased up. He shouldn't get so worked up, he supposed, considering the fact that Jonouchi hadn't meant anything by it. But it wasn't about Jonouchi; it was about Gozaburo, and that was what got under his skin. Hopefully he hadn't been misinterpreted.

"Oh. Just curious."

Jonouchi didn't say anything more about it. From the tone of Kaiba's voice, he figured it was a real sore subject that the other man didn't want to talk about. Which was fine, Jonouchi didn't feel all that comfortable talking about his father and they were related by blood. Whenever someone asked about Jonouchi Katsuya senior, his shoulders would tense up and he'd get really quiet…

Thankfully, Kaiba hadn't thought to bring him up yet. It made things easier, not having to talk about that part of his life, and not wanting to cause Kaiba anymore stress than he had already, Jonouchi tried to think of something light to say to him.

"You know last night, I remember saying some stupid stuff to you while high. Something about your eyes, right? I can't remember what exactly it was."

Kaiba put on his best poker face, trying very hard not to show any emotion toward the memory. At the time, it had little effect on him. Now that he was sober, and forced to tell sober Jonouchi about his words, he felt suddenly a little shy about it.

"You said I had pretty eyes," he recounted, staring deliberately at the road, "And you mentioned something about how you wouldn't put up with my shit so much if I didn't. You weren't making much sense at the time."

He didn't want to keep the mood heavy by acting like he was affected in any negative way. He also didn't want Jonouchi to know that he felt strangely fluttery about the whole thing. Yes, he'd seen plenty of blogs and websites gushing about his 'pretty eyes', but this was different. He wasn't sure how. He only knew it made him feel something different, and he had yet to identify how or why.

"Oh, I remember that now. Yeah, and I meant it too. You do have pretty eyes, especially for a dude. Used to be really jealous of them, back in high school. If you didn't have them, I probably wouldn't shrug off half the crazy shit you say now. You're lucky that you aren't ugly."

And that was as far as Jonouchi was willing to go with that. Calling him "not ugly" wasn't like calling him attractive, so it couldn't mean anything to say that. Jonouchi didn't even mean anything by it, or so he told himself. Sure, guys usually didn't tell each other they looked good like girls did, but so what? Hopefully Kaiba didn't care, and it was true. He wasn't bad looking. Not at all.

He didn't like where his thoughts were going with it though. Making sure not to look Kaiba's direction, he stared at the incoming gates of the Kaiba Mansion and the security surrounding it. The place was full of guards, which was understandable after Pegasus took over into the place. How he got away with that, Jonouchi didn't understand.

"And neither is your house."

Kaiba felt a little proud when he saw Jonouchi staring at the four-story mansion in all its Victorian glory, the sprawling front lawn stretching as far as the gravel drive. The front gates looked less secure than they were—tall, black, ornate bars topped with glistening spikes. They opened electronically, and furthermore could have a strong electric current run through them at the discretion of Kaiba's head of security (Isono).

He stopped at the intercom outside the gates to get passage from the guard on duty, and began the drive up to the house. There was a predictable roundabout at the end of the driveway in front of the mansion, the center composed of a well-cultivated garden of colorful flowers and rich green plants. He parked the car and stepped out, leaving the keys with the guard who was waiting outside. Then he led the way to the front doors.

Once he managed to get the still-awed Jonouchi inside the place, he tried to figure out a plan of action. Mokuba was at school, meaning that outside of maids and security, it was only them in the house. Hopefully his employees would mind their own business, despite the fact that they'd be obviously curious about his 'not ugly' male visitor. Probably half the house at least knew about his sexuality, but they stayed quiet about it. Many of them were smart enough not to try their boss.

"The koi pond is in the greenhouse and sunroom to the left," he announced to Jonouchi, gesturing in that direction. "If you want to go there first, then let's go. Don't forget your shoes."

He quickly managed to remove his own boots and slipped into his house shoes. One of the maids had already thought to bring a pair for Jonouchi. Kaiba couldn't help but notice several of the women (some of them eight or ten years older) admiring his guest. He disapproved of how irritated it made him, though.

"House shoes. Seriously?"

Jonouchi preferred sneakers. And when it came to manners, he had none. He was not raised with any sort of direction on how to act in other people's homes, and only knowing what Anzu had imposed on him, he knew enough to not walk on people's carpets with dirty sneakers. And that was about it.

Looking at the maids and servants, he wondered what they thought of him. Hopefully nothing scandalous. He'd die a little if they thought he was only around for sex, because he didn't doubt that Kaiba sometimes brought his little escapades over to his mansion before chickening out at intimacy and promptly kicking them out. By the looks they were giving him, he couldn't tell if they were intrigued or jesting.

"Yeah, I'd like to see those koi," Jonouchi said while changing his shoes, "Maybe then your house staff won't be all over my back watching like wolves…" he muttered more to himself than Kaiba, becoming irritable with all the pairs of eyes on him.

Really, he hated the idea of living in such a big house, mostly for the lack of privacy. Sure, his apartment didn't have much either, but at least it was his. No one was inside of it when he was gone, going through his things, and even if that meant being poor and having very little… Well, it was his. And only his. No strange pair of eyes watching his movements as he went about his business.

The mansion was beautiful though. Like a museum, with different rooms full of antiques, both Japanese and European, although he knew better than to touch anything. Hanging kimonos looked spectacularly gorgeous, and so were the marble statues and oil paintings hanging on the walls. It was all very nice.

But not personal. The house felt like a shell to him.

Kaiba didn't say anything. If he was away for long enough, he forgot how much he hated his house. Everything about it just seemed unwelcoming. He felt as if he didn't live here, that he lived at his office or in the study, or in his hotel room with Jonouchi.

Though that last was a new development.

And a quite tempting idea, at that, but it couldn't come to fruition.

At least the greenhouse was nice to be in, but it was hardly comfortable. He felt like a visitor on his own damn property. Not that he'd ever considered the place a 'home'. It had always been where he slept when he wasn't somewhere else, which was the majority of the time. Only his bedroom and his study felt like really his, along with the workshop, and only then because he did such personal things there—explored his fantasies in bed, and explored the possibilities in his office and workshop.

Jonouchi seemed to be feeling like a tourist more than a guest, but Kaiba couldn't blame him. He only hoped his friend didn't start feeling like an exhibit, what with the way the maids were looking at him. They all seemed to want a piece of him. Maybe he had that effect on older women in general, if Kujaku Mai was any indication. Kaiba didn't care. He was growing tired of their behavior. They knew it was rude for them to behave in such a way. He didn't normally uphold strict etiquette for his employees, but they damn well better not stare at his guest like they were trying to figure out what made him tick.

That said, when he'd brought prospective lovers home way back when, he'd been perfectly fine with the staring and whispering. But that had been attempts at casual sex. This was different. This was more important.

This was someone he respected.

Thankfully the greenhouse was more private, no one around except for an old lady gardener who was more interested in her irises than what Jonouchi looked like. Which was a relief, because he was getting very sick of being stared at, and Jonouchi felt like he got enough of that from Kaiba alone. He didn't need his maids down his back too.

"This place is so damn humid…"

Sighing, he took off his sweater rather hesitantly before looking for the koi pond, trying to ignore whatever looks Kaiba was probably giving him. He didn't know how to deal with it, because while he was flattered … It wasn't something he was comfortable with. That and he didn't know what exactly to make out of Kaiba's attraction and if it would ever go away. In his mind, it seemed like it would be nice to just be friends and have no sexual tension cutting between them, but…

He didn't know.

And walking over to the pond, he forced it to the back of his mind before sitting down before the water, not even asking before slipping off his shoes and sticking his toes into the water. Almost immediately the koi all gathered around the blond's feet, sucking on them curiously as their slimy bodies rubbed against the soles of his foot. There were black koi and orange white ones, along with tri-colored fish that had such vibrant tones, with the black contrasting against the stark white and orange.

"Where's the fish food?"

Kaiba managed not to stare like a pervert when Jonouchi removed his sweater, and he felt rather proud of himself for it, but he soon forgot that in light of Jonouchi wiggling his toes in the pond water. Gross. Not only that, but the fish inevitably started rubbing up on him, and their bodies were slimy. Kaiba nearly shuddered at the thought of something cold and viscous against his skin.

In answer to Jonouchi's half-request for fish food, he produced a can of feed and handed it to the other man without speaking. He didn't think anything needed to be said about it.

He watched Jonouchi feed the fish, seeming far more excited about it than was reasonable, but Kaiba didn't mention it this time. The other man's joy almost made the atmosphere of the place seem livable. Come to think of it, Jonouchi had the same effect on his penthouse. Perhaps it was the company, or just the bright aura he had, but Kaiba found his clinical living spaces improved after a visit.

"I'd offer you the task of feeding them daily," Kaiba snorted, "But you'd use so much time and money getting here and back to the city that you may as well get your own fish."

"I wish I could get a pet, but I can't. The only thing my apartment would allow is beta fish, and I don't think it's all that good of an idea really. Not because I wouldn't take care of it, but I plan on leaving the country and I can't do that with a pet here. Doubt they'd let me mail a damn fish overseas."

He didn't have the same sense of disgust over letting the animals touch him. Feet were just feet. Even though he loved designer sneakers, if he could get away with being barefoot, Jonouchi would. Just like with clothes, it didn't bother him all that much and it made him feel closer to nature, in a strange way. Although he couldn't explain it to other people, he liked the raw feeling of knowing what was under his feet, whether it was cement or earth.

"Are you just going to stare down at me? Come sit."

Jonouchi didn't expect Kaiba to join him on his personal fun, but he didn't like having to look up so high to see his face. It was slightly intimidating, and turning back toward the fish, Jou tried brushing his discomfort off. With everything that was going on, it just felt strange sometimes being around the other man in ways he couldn't really explain. Probably because of what he'd told him the day before, but then again, it didn't really come as too big of a surprise.

It was like Jonouchi had known, but just didn't want to admit it to himself.

"It's too bad you have so many servants all over the place. The house is gorgeous, but it doesn't feel like a home. You gotta be lonely here, I'd think."

Kaiba cautiously crouched, not wanting to sully his pants on the dirt and/or grime that had collected on the stones and cultivated moss around the pond.

"It is lonely," he admitted, feeling almost relieved to tell someone about it. Then he reeled himself in, realizing he was about to start complaining like a little bitch when he had no right to. "Oh, poor me, my house is uncomfortably large and full of nice things". Jonouchi lived with the constant threat of gang violence, robbery, and heaven knew what else. No, he wasn't going to complain about that right now. He'd done plenty all ready.

"I've learned to deal with it. I still preferred the conditions of this weekend over my usual ones, but I can hardly complain."

He fell silent then, noting that Jonouchi seemed a little bit uncomfortable, or at least thoughtful, as he watched the fish.

"Is something on your mind?"

"Something on my mind?"

And looking briefly at Kaiba's dark blue eyes, Jonouchi felt a little naked in front of him and quickly looked away before shaking his head, "No, I'm fine. Unlike you, I don't think about much except what's going on in the present.

Why don't you stay at the hotel more often if you prefer it? I know I would, if I had a place like that. The view is perfect and everything you could want is right there. I mean hell; no one would even be around for your more… private activities like they are here. No one to snoop or worry about seeing something they shouldn't.

I mean this house is gorgeous and all, but it doesn't feel like you. Then again, I've seen barely any of it, so what do I know. I'll stop rambling now."

And shutting his mouth, he started staring at the fish again before raining krill pellets over the water. The koi seemed very hungry, snatching the food and spraying water all over with their tails, but Jonouchi didn't mind. He liked them, even if his pants were getting a little wet.

"They'll keep eating until the food goes away," Kaiba scolded, "Don't make them fat. They already get overfed.

As for why I don't live at the apartment…I don't know anymore, really. It used to be that it felt no more like home than this place. I also stayed here to be closer to Mokuba, but he's in the process of leaving anyways, so he isn't dependent on my attention and company as he used to be."

Kaiba sighed and stared up at the blue sky through the glass ceiling, recalling years past when Mokuba had still needed his authority figure nearby when he went to sleep. The kid had required a lot of support. He was strong, but no one should be left alone with memories of being kidnapped or nightmares of being trapped in the small, dark space of a monster capsule.

At the age of thirteen, Mokuba had decided he could manage on his own. Kaiba had been proud of him for making that choice. But, as it turned out, he never really slept as well after that. He mostly lay awake staring at the ceiling until he couldn't stay up any longer, and eventually he'd resorted to working in his study until he was practically asleep on his feet.

In the end, it was he who couldn't sleep on his own.

"The penthouse was nice with company," he continued, breaking out of his reverie, "Even your apartment was nice with company. But on my own? Everywhere is about the same."

"I know that feeling though. I hate living alone. For a while Honda used to stay with me, or I'd stay with Honda, but since he left, things haven't been the same. It's just very lonesome, being without someone else all the damn time and I can't tell you how paranoid I feel about going to that apartment building without someone else around. I mean, I haven't had a problem with anyone there in almost eight months, but I can't shake the feeling of being watched…

I'm going to find a way to get out soon. That place is just a dump, and even if that means going somewhere even smaller, than that might just be the thing I'll have to do. Hell, Yugi would probably let me have his old room if I asked… It would just feel strange being there, since I'm twenty and all. I should be on my own, you know?

And I'm not going to make the fish fat," he continued, narrowing his eyes in Kaiba's direction. And not caring if it would piss the other man off, he grabbed a small handful of pellets and threw them at Kaiba's chest before putting the lid away and sulking.

"Life isn't easy," Kaiba noted, brushing away stray pellets with a scowl, "You may be twenty, but so what? Before the industrial revolution started in the West, families lived together for a long, long time. If not together, then very close. Not to mention, the economy is rough. I've had to cut my own salary for four consecutive years to ensure that employee paychecks would remain relatively stable."

Shit was getting expensive. Yes, there were a lot of things he could write off on his taxes, but unless it really was something that could be honestly regarded as a 'company expense' (like supplies), he paid what he owed. Unfortunately, what he owed (along with what everyone else owed) was steadily increasing. He had his own fortune, so personal comfort wasn't an issue. It was the company's income that would be at risk if he wasn't very fiscally responsible.

"You said it's only been eight months since you had 'trouble'?" He queried, staring intensely at Jonouchi as if that would somehow transfer the information from one mind to another, "You really aren't safe there, are you? I think-"

Then he stopped, realizing he was about to offer something that was likely unwanted. He had no right to butt in that much anyway. Jonouchi was strong enough to handle himself in a fight…

…But maybe not against guns. Or other lethal weapons. And being injured, much as Jonouchi seemed to think it was no big deal, was something from which his mind and body would never completely recover.

"You think what? I'm fine where I am. It's all I can afford anyways. If there was somewhere else I could live, believe me, I'd be moving today in a heartbeat. But I can't. It's just not feasible right now, and I'll find somewhere else to go soon. If not another apartment, I'll ask Yugi's grandfather for a room or something. He'll enjoy the company."

The old man needed looking after anyways. He was old and had heart problems and his grandson was never around to take care of him. Hell, his own daughter only came by once a month to see him, it was ridiculous. Jonouchi hated how distant the family acted after Yugi left home, but it really wasn't his business. He couldn't tell the Mutou's how to live, so he just shut his mouth and watched from afar.

As far as he was concerned, they really just used the old man. Not so much Yugi, but his mother did and Jonouchi never liked her. Call him old fashioned, but he very much believed that as his daughter, she should have been the one watching over him. Or Yugi.

"So yeah. I'll figure it out on my own."

"I was…going to offer to drive you home after work," Kaiba murmured, barely wanting to say it but figuring it was better to do so than not. "I suppose if you're leaving there soon, you'll be all right, but I hate the thought of knowingly sending you to walk somewhere that dangerous."

He stared at the koi, feeling too embarrassed and, frankly, patronizing, to look at Jonouchi now. He probably shouldn't have mentioned it. He was being a white knight, and he knew that Jonouchi was proud and capable. He didn't need saving. He was just…letting his 'maternal instincts' kick in, as Mokuba had said on many an occasion.

Still, just the thought of dropping Jonouchi off that day and leaving him to walk from the bus stop through a neighborhood where he was a target made him feel shitty.

"I'm not trying to insult you. It was only a thought."

"Kaiba, when would you have time for that sort of thing? You're too busy and I usually get home before dark. It's not a big deal. If I know I can't make it, I'll shack up in Yugi's room and save myself the bus fare."

Really, he wanted to talk about something else already. He hated having to explain his situation over and over again, especially to someone who had everything. Usually he wasn't so bitter about his social status compared to others, but when it came from Kaiba, sometimes it just felt like a personal attack. It felt like it was his own fault for not having better, even if Kaiba was trying to help him. Help that he didn't want, regardless if it was needed or not.

"Can we please talk about something else now?"

He was becoming irritable. And his toes were wrinkling from the water and the fish had lost interest in his feet. Staring at them, Jonouchi refused to look Kaiba in the face as long as he felt that cold blue eyed stare on him, and furrowing his brows, he thought about seeing some place else.

"Or go somewhere, since this place is so huge."

Kaiba bristled, and the alpha male in him hoped very much just then that Jonouchi would look him in the eye so he would see just how pissed he was. Honestly, every time he tried to be nice to anyone they 'didn't need his help' or some other bullshit. No, of course not. They just wanted to have access to his resources, transportation, and personal spaces.

And his theme park, in Jonouchi's case.

He managed to quell his rage enough to hide behind the shell of a rather cold expression, but he resolved to keep the incident in mind. The attitude Jonouchi thrust upon him (in his house! His!) crawled right under his skin and made him want to smack him upside the head.

But, now wasn't the time. Nor was it the place. If Jonouchi wanted to be a child about a simple offer, then Kaiba wasn't going to indulge him by displaying his anger. He simply stood, turned on his heel, and briskly approached the entryway that led back to the foyer. When he had his hand on the knob, he stopped and turned enough to look back at Jonouchi.

"Are you coming?" He asked impatiently.

"No. What's your problem?"

He got his feet out of the water and was putting on his socks, but he didn't plan on going anywhere as long as Kaiba talked to him in that tone of voice. Jonouchi wouldn't stand for it. If he was going to stay friends with Kaiba, then he'd be treated like an equal and being addressed like some child or servant who could be bullied into doing what he ordered was not okay.

"I didn't ask for your help, nor do I want your pity. Don't get all nasty at me because I don't want a white knight, and I don't want to talk about my financial issues anymore. Jeez."

Yugi was bad enough, but he didn't come off so bossy. He was much softer spoken, and Jonouchi still argued with him over his housing arrangements. And how Jonouchi blew his money on shoes. Things that weren't any of his friend's concern, even if he was being protective and caring. Frankly, Jou didn't want it.

And he never knew how to feel about people caring for him. It was new and never in his life did his parents really concern themselves with his well-being, so he did what was best for himself. Often without help, either. People getting involved with his issues just didn't rub off on him the right away.

"Pity?" Kaiba parroted, taken aback and certainly not going to hold back in the face of an open challenge. "Why would I waste both our time throwing some useless pity at you?"

He stalked back to Jonouchi's position. The other man didn't budge, despite his intense glare and a demeanor that said he might strike at any moment.

"When have I ever shown pity? I offered help because I thought it was the right thing to do, and you, of course, heard an insult. But fine, Jonouchi, you have a right to your own emotions and opinions, and your own stupidity. But if you think I'm going to stand by while you disrespect me in my house, then you're stretching my tolerance too far."

Well. He'd said his piece. Normally, he was under better control than to verbally express frustration. Today that was not the case, and it took him some figuring to discover why.

He was hurt. He felt rejected. Irrational or not, that was the case. He could have handled having his offer turned down, but Jonouchi's venom had been too much for him.

Now he was cooling off, after letting off steam, but he realized with some disdain that he'd probably angered Jonouchi.

And he was angry. If it had been a few years back, Jonouchi would have thrown it all back along with much, much more, but since then, he had learn to bite his tongue. All he had to do was just glare for a long time before getting his shoes on and standing up, not saying a word before heading toward the exit of the green house.

He didn't need to deal with Kaiba's bullshit. And he wouldn't, because that was not the type of person he was. Even if that meant being bull headed and calling Honda outside of the man's house hoping for a ride back into the city, then he could. It would make for a really odd conversation, but he knew if he needed the ride, his old best friend would give him one.

"I wasn't disrespecting you," he finally replied, turning back briefly to face Kaiba, "But if you think so, then fine. I'll leave. I'll save you the trip of taking me back, I'll find my own way home."

Not saying anything after that, he stalked off and tried to find the way out. Only problem was, the house was too damn big and he couldn't tell east from west. Usually he'd ask for directions, but he was too mad to say anything coherent to the maids, so picking a direction, Jonouchi hoped it would take him to the front door.

* * *

Like what you just read? Then please review.


	14. Chapter 14

Kaiba watched Jonouchi take off in entirely the wrong direction and was tempted to laugh, but instead he simply took another path that would lead him to the same place Jonouchi was headed: his home study. There were three different ways to reach that hallway, and Kaiba planned to take one that he knew would intercept the other man.

Honestly though, the walk there was so long that he couldn't even justify his anger anymore. Hell, he was even starting to feel a little guilty for being harsh, but his stubborn streak held fast and insisted that he was right in his stance. Maybe he was, and maybe not. Regardless, hadn't he pushed the limits of Jonouchi's comfort level? Shouldn't he have respected them, even if Jonouchi had been snappy? Certainly, his friend showed him that consideration often enough. Perhaps he had overreacted. He refused to believe a reaction was unwarranted, but he could accept that he had been too zealous.

He turned a corner and saw Jonouchi walking toward him, looking quite lost and more irritated than he had been angry previously. Their eyes met, and Kaiba simply stood still, his expression impassive as he tried to read Jonouchi for a reaction. He didn't want to say anything that would tip the delicate situation into further hostility, but deep down he knew he'd retaliate if Jonouchi was more venomous than he thought appropriate. He forcefully calmed himself and waited to see what Jonouchi would do.

Which was turn the opposite direction, since he didn't want to see Kaiba for a long time. Frustrated and still angry, Jonouchi turned tail and quickly headed off the other way, passing rapidly by the maids in hopes of evading Kaiba in case he decided to just show up out of nowhere again, which Jonouchi didn't want. Some excuse not to see the man again was good enough for him, all things considered. It meant no more confusing questions, no more anxiety, and his life could return back to normal.

This time he did find the front doors, passing through rather abruptly before going to the car and snagging his belongings. Thankfully someone left the car door unlocked or else he would have thrown a fit. Like hell if he'd return to the stuffy house after everything, and it wasn't close enough to stop by anyways. He would have rather just bought a new pair of pants and shirt instead of coming back.

"Goddamn prick, that's what he is. Nothing has changed…"

And heading toward the gate of the mansion, Jonouchi hoped the guards would just let him pass. He didn't want to be stopped. Power walking through the gravel path, he began to take out his cell phone so he could call Honda.

Hopefully he was available.

Jonouchi was walking over the garden in the roundabout, and much as that pissed Kaiba off, he thought it more important to make amends before it was too late. Too late for what, he didn't want to explore. He knew. He knew that even in the few days since they'd started spending time together, his life had felt the impact of it. But he didn't need to explore that and make himself feel even weaker.

He could have had his gate security stop Jonouchi, he supposed, but he didn't want to pay the hospital bills. Not to mention, it would have made the worst possible impression.

No, he ran instead. He sprinted out of his house and across the gravel drive to the garden plot where Jonouchi was trampling flowers, and when he saw the other man's head turn, his eyes widening, he leapt and tackled him to the ground.

Which, in retrospect, was probably a terrible idea, but he knew Jonouchi could outrun him if he so pleased. It was this, or chase him down later on. Somehow, he felt spurred to immediate action. Once he'd recovered his wind he stood, panting, not wanting to make Jonouchi feel trapped. Trying to pin him wouldn't do any good, anyway. They'd just fight, then. It'd be the only possible outcome.

Jonouchi just laid there on the ground stunned for a while, unsure of how to react. He didn't know what made Kaiba do that, but he didn't like it. It pissed him off that the other man was able to take him by surprise and successfully knock the wind out of him before he figured out what happened, feeling a bit out of it as Kaiba got off the ground dusting his clothes. All he could do was continue lying there feeling weak and stupid, wanting to retaliate but knowing better than to do so with all the security around.

That, and Kaiba wasn't weak. His body was surprisingly heavy, along with being much larger than his, and Jonouchi was pretty out of practice. His back hurt and was beginning to ache, and picking himself off the ground enough so he was just sitting on the gravel, he gave Kaiba a hard look before saying anything to him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

He really wanted to go home. Or go smoke a cigarette. Whichever thing could come first, Jonouchi wanted it badly. Kaiba had pissed him off more than ever before, and rudely kicking the gravel with at him, he eventually got himself off the ground, his right arm skinned and bleeding. Of course the other man didn't have an injury on him. It figured.

"I had to stop you from leaving," Kaiba defended, "I couldn't have caught you if you ran."

He was expecting to be punched in the face, actually, but Jonouchi seemed more shocked than anything at the moment. That made sense, seeing as he'd just had a fully-grown man tackle him at high speed. His arm was bleeding from what appeared to be a scrape, something for which Kaiba hadn't really accounted before attacking.

"You're hurt," he noted, his tone slightly apologetic, "At least disinfect it before you go. Assuming you still insist on leaving, I mean."

He realized that perhaps calling after Jonouchi to wait, and maybe offering an apology would have been more socially correct. Then again, he didn't apologize to anyone but Mokuba. Ever. And since Jonouchi would likely have just spat in his face anyway, it would have been a waste.

At least now he'd managed to stop him and get his attention. If Jonouchi tried to run again, he was close enough to grab an arm to stop him or at least run after him for a chance at it. He waited tensely for a response, his shoulders locking up slightly in anticipation of physical abuse. He still wasn't sure what he'd do if it came to that.

"It'll be fine. I've had much worse."

He wasn't going to have Kaiba touch it or even try to fix it in anyway if he could manage it. Pissed beyond belief and not wanting to be in the other man's presence any longer, he really just wanted to go home. Anywhere, actually, than being trapped at the Kaiba mansion. Being knocked to the ground after being snapped at over complete bullshit just showed to him that Kaiba hadn't really changed. Not enough to be worth the trouble.

And as long as he wasn't willing to apologize, Jonouchi wasn't going to bother with him. There were better people out there worth his time that wouldn't walk all over him and cuss him out whenever they got upset. Sitting there while Kaiba verbally went at him, even if he had only been called stupid off handedly, reminded him too much of year's past. It left a bad taste in Jonouchi's mouth, and never wanting to feel so insignificant again, he was ready to just leave.

"I'll take care of it when I get home. Now leave me alone."

That was a little rude, since it was Kaiba was trying to help him out a little, but he didn't really care. His buttons got pushed and he was mad, so turning around and heading back towards the gate, Jonouchi didn't give his shortness a second thought. If Kaiba took offense, then it only proved what he originally thought of him.

Which was a shame, because slowly Jonouchi's opinion on him was changing. But not anymore.

"Wha—Wait!" Kaiba demanded, realizing that Jonouchi fully intended to leave, injured arm and all. He felt panic rising in his chest; something told him that if he let Jonouchi go now, they'd never spend time together again. Not because he wouldn't be able to find him, but because he wouldn't go after him. If he let this go, he'd be too stubborn and proud to go find Jonouchi and try to coax him. And even if he did, Jonouchi would probably not be convinced.

He walked closely behind Jonouchi and grabbed his uninjured arm in an attempt to make him pause, but the arm yanked away and Jonouchi refused to stop.

"Jonouchi, wait!"

No avail. He continued following. They had quite a way to go before the gate, but he didn't want to get that far. Jonouchi would either be detained by security or electrocuted by the gate itself.

"Fuck," he hissed, realization dawning unpleasantly over him. He didn't apologize! He never apologized to anyone!

"Dammit—Jonouchi, I'm sorry! Just wait a goddamn second!"

He sounded more desperate than he wanted to, but he was tired from sprinting and exasperated by the situation.

"Why should I?"

If Kaiba hadn't apologized, he would have just ignored his pleas, but deciding at the last moment to give him a chance, Jonouchi turned around to face him. He knew walking off wouldn't be a good idea, since security was everywhere and although he knew how to get out of a place with guards all over, it had been a long time. Jonouchi was out of practice, and he was pretty sure that Kaiba's electrical fence didn't have any weak spots.

So standing there rather awkwardly with a bleeding arm, holding onto it hard to ease the stinging, he waited for a reason to stay. In the back of his head, he also hoped Kaiba gave him enough reason to stay, since he didn't want to end the only relationship he had still going… Especially not like this. Not over such a stupid fight.

"I accept your apology Kaiba, but I won't let you treat me like crap again."

"Fair _enough,"_Kaiba conceded, "I shouldn't have snapped at you. I won't do it again."

He felt burning in his chest, the panic now passed to be replaced by a stinging, humiliated rage. Being humble was not a strong point of his, and neither was remorse. He was starting to question what he'd thought made it worthwhile to apologize in the first place, but it was too late for regret.

Every less savory possibility had run through his head. Having Jonouchi detained by security, letting him electrocute himself on the gate, or even just having him arrested. But for once, he didn't even want revenge (except, perhaps, for the fact that he was now horribly embarrassed). He wanted Jonouchi to come back, first and foremost.

Not that he was in any state to think that he'd been unjustified in his anger earlier. However, concessions sometimes had to be made. Jonouchi called him 'Kaiba', not because he saw him as the CEO, or the figurehead, but because that was his name. Pulling rank and status or using the threat of power would mean little to Jonouchi.

"I'll make it up to you. You could at least give me a chance to do that."

"Fine. I won't leave just yet then…"

Jonouchi felt strangely about the whole thing, standing there awkwardly with the guards looking at them as their little drama unfolded. Honestly, he couldn't even remember what had triggered the argument, but that tended to happen a lot. He had the attention span of a fly. Unable to focus on more than one thing at once, all his anger was settled on leaving the Kaiba mansion before he could even remember 'why'.

Well, because Kaiba went off on him. But he didn't really understand what had brought on the raging.

"Do you have a first aid kit somewhere?"

Now no longer planning on just leaving, Jonouchi figured it would be best if he got his arm cleaned up. Being stuck at the hospital for a perfectly preventable infection would have been half retarded on his part, so biting his tongue and trying to be humble, Jonouchi forced himself to calm down.

"I can clean it up myself, if you have one…"

He had done it enough times.

"Yes," the constricting in Kaiba's chest eased, the hostility leaving his eyes as he led Jonouchi back to the house. From the looks the front door security were giving him, the house employees would probably be gossiping about the incident for a long time. If the maids hadn't thought there was something between them before, now they definitely would.

He led Jonouchi to the kitchen, where there was sure to be a kit under one of the cabinets. He directed the other man to take a seat in the area to one side where the cooks sat to rest, and after a short search retrieved the first aid kit.

He sat the plastic box on the table on which Jonouchi was resting his scraped arm, and he used a sanitary wipe to clean away the dirt and blood. Jonouchi seemed annoyed by his actions, and Kaiba realized that perhaps he took offense to being 'nursed', so to speak. He supposed it was habit, after having to fix up Mokuba many times in the past.

"I'm sorry for taking off and causing a scene," mumbled Jonouchi, his eyes purposely avoiding Kaiba's as he worked on cleaning his gash, "I just really don't like being yelled at."

And sitting there feeling stupid, he hoped that Kaiba would finish up soon so he could take off. He didn't think the other man really wanted him around for company, since he looked so pissed off. Sure, his eyes weren't so dark now and his face had relaxed, but there was still a rather hostile expression across his features that put Jonouchi on edge.

He had dealt with a lot of angry people in his life, and situations like this made him inherently uncomfortable. But at least the servants were no longer watching them, making up whatever stupid stories about the two that weren't true. They probably thought he was Kaiba's newest playboy, which was so far from the truth. It wasn't like that. And Jonouchi had no desire for it ever to be.

"I really shouldn't have snapped at you either… but you have to understand, I don't like talking about how poor I am. It's humiliating."

He really didn't like how little control he had over it. College was expensive and Jonouchi didn't have the best of grades to just apply for scholarships. It was rough, being stuck where he was, but Jonouchi was really trying to make it work.

Kaiba paused in opening the bandage he held, blinking as he stared at the package. He felt immensely frustrated with himself all of a sudden.

"I didn't even consider that you felt that way," he explained, meeting Jonouchi's eyes, "I thought you were offended because I was offering help."

He sighed, opening the bandage fully and carefully applying it to Jonouchi's arm.

"I don't care about your financial status, Jonouchi," he continued, slightly irritated by both the misunderstanding and the fact that Jonouchi would assume that, "I know I used to insult you about it, so it may take time for you to believe that, but I mean it. You work hard, and you're honest. And frankly, the fact that it hasn't got you very far makes me furious."

Certainly, he'd had to bust his ass for years and years to make it to the top, but after all Jonouchi's struggling, shouldn't he at least deserve to live without a daily threat of being attacked?

"I'm not looking down at you because you're poor. I wanted to do _something. _It wasn't a fantastic suggestion, I know. But don't mistake my intention."

"All right. Don't stress yourself over it. It's something I'm working on fixing, and I'll be out of that neighborhood soon enough. Only thing is I can't make a big move out of there in one night, especially since I can't afford to. But when I do, you'll be the first person I'll have over, okay?"

Hopefully that would appease Kaiba, even if Jonouchi really didn't have a plan about where to go. Right now he only had some money saved up for college and rent fees added up fast. He wouldn't be able to move anywhere better until finding a better job, unless he moved into the Game Shop. And he really didn't want to unless he had to.

But it was an option.

"And can I still stay over for dinner?"

He wasn't sure if the invitation was still open. After making an embarrassing scene in the front driveway acting a fool and getting knocked down onto the street, he wouldn't be offended if Kaiba just wanted him to leave. People were already talking about them and Jonouchi could only imagine what the rumors were. That they were probably sleeping together, most likely. Jonouchi wouldn't put it past them to assume that he was a hired prostitute, either.

Which meant they thought he was gay. Wrinkling his nose in slight disgust, he glanced down as Kaiba finished his bandage, sighing quickly before looking over the dressing himself.

"Thanks."

Kaiba blinked.

"Of course you're still invited to dinner," he replied incredulously, "If I didn't want you to stay, I wouldn't have made a giant fool of myself and ran through the house after you. Much less would I have tackled you to the ground."

He paused, staring at Jonouchi's bandaged arm.

"I suppose I'll apologize for that, too," he murmured. He heard whispering nearby, likely from maids outside the kitchen door who were listening in on the conversation and assuming the worst possible thing. Well, he couldn't really blame them. What they'd said and done over the past several days could be taken greatly out of context with ease.

It wouldn't matter as much to him. Aside from the temporary effects of a 'gay scandal' on his publicity and possibly his stock value, he wouldn't be much affected if people thought he and Jonouchi were dating. Or…dating for pay, as the phrase went. He was more concerned for Jonouchi's reputation, seeing as he didn't have the money or status to flip off the world about a rumor like that—not to mention, his life would be in immediate danger.

"Oh, I just thought you liked having an excuse to knock me over."

And snorting from his own personal amusement, Jonouchi got up from the chair and looked around the kitchen. There were so many things inside of it, more than he could ever hope to have in his lifetime. Giant brand new stoves and ovens, with massive storage refrigerators and freezers, island counter tops with stainless steel sinks and faucets, the best appliances, European knives… The list went on. It was an executive kitchen through and through.

But there were no staff around. The cooks had scattered when Kaiba showed up, and Jonouchi wondered if he could try just making something for himself. He wasn't the best with food, but he knew enough to get by well. His mother rarely made meals for him when he was around with her and his father never did. At an early age, he learned to take care of himself, and that meant even with cooking dinner.

"What exactly are we having tonight? Probably not octopus balls, since you've had them two nights in a row now. I'd like to try something different."

He wasn't sure what kind of food Kaiba liked, but it had to be more upscale than what Jonouchi was used to. The other man was a slight snob, and Jonouchi didn't blame him for it… But the idea of eating dinner with him in a more formal setting was intimidating.

"My chefs can prepare anything," Kaiba replied, "Tell me what you want to eat and they'll make it for us. I'd rather you chose than me."

That was true. He could be picky, but so far, Jonouchi hadn't chosen anything for them to eat that he didn't like. Except for that disgusting American-style fast food burger, but his chefs knew how to cook actual food.

As long as Jonouchi didn't want oden, he'd probably be fine. Maybe they could follow up dinner with some mochi. He wasn't much in the mood for a really sweet dessert, and green tea mochi was something he didn't eat often. Maybe he'd ask Jonouchi about it later.

"Are you in the mood for meat in thick or thin sauce, rice, noodles, foreign food, soups…whatever you want. You can choose dessert, too. Just decide before too long. I have to tell the cooks ahead of time."

Fresh food could take hours to make for an entire household. The servants had the option to eat whatever he, Mokuba, and any guests did not, but he still didn't want to be too inconsiderate. These were the people making his food, after all, and it wasn't as if he himself had the time to do it. He still made dinner once in a while, when he and Mokuba had time to spend together. At least they'd upheld that tradition even after Mokuba started puberty, and his brother didn't even seem to begrudge it. A small consolation, but the little things were what kept him going

There were too many choices. And Jonouchi loved food. He almost loved food too much. Unlike some kids, he didn't get to eat until he was full during his childhood, or even at this point in his life. Too poor for anything outside of box noodles and imitation meat products, this was very different for him. Anything he wanted. Even international food.

"Uh. I honestly have no idea what I want."

He could think of a million things to try, but nothing to settle on. His favorite American food was burgers, by far (Burger World being his favorite place to waste money), but other things? Maybe fresh crab like what Yugi had shared with him in California, or pasta. It had been a long time since he had tried pasta, and it was very good when fresh.

But then there was also steak. And lobster, he had never tried lobster before. Thinking over all the options, he was sure that would be going a bit too far, asking something like that from Kaiba even if he could afford it. He didn't want to be a menace, and figuring that Italian was probably something his host would like, he settled on that.

"I think I want pasta tonight, if you don't care."

"Pasta? I'll assume you mean Italian-style, then. What kind of sauce? And do you want meat, poultry, or shellfish with it? Or all, it makes little difference to me."

Kaiba enjoyed international food when it was well cooked—European in particular. His favorites were filet mignon and lobster escalade, after all. Jonouchi seemed wary to request anything, or at least indecisive, and Kaiba didn't want to push too hard with reassuring him that he had free choice. He might come off as giving a handout.

Which, he supposed, he was—to a degree. He saw how Jonouchi lived and ate, and he wasn't going to get a hair up his ass about giving him a good, healthy meal. Kaiba didn't mind feeding Jonouchi. But he didn't need to shove it in his face, either. If nothing else, he'd learned well that the other man didn't need his help and certainly didn't want what he saw as charity. Kaiba couldn't fault him for the things that made him a strong individual.

"I suppose I should also ask if you want anything to drink with the food."

"I guess tomato sauce is good, that's the only thing I've ever had before. And chicken… I don't really know what I want to drink with the food. I'm not used to having choices."

It was embarrassing how much money he ended up blowing in America, just trying a bit of everything. He liked fast food, fried food, pizza, gyros, and all those other traditionally junky things that came with a side order of pop and fries. Sure, it wasn't healthy at all, but Jonouchi had the metabolism of a bird. Nothing stayed with him for very long.

Which was a good thing, since when he did eat, he over ate until the point of feeling sick. He didn't plan on doing that with Kaiba around, because it would be poor manners (although Jonouchi didn't really _have_ manners). Sitting there feeling sick after shoveling so much food with Kaiba watching wouldn't be good. If it was anyone else, he wouldn't care, but not with Kaiba around.

"Have you ever tried cooking dinner yourself? It's not that hard. Hell, I could make pasta easily, it just mostly requires boiling water."

"I can cook, but not nearly as well as the chefs," Kaiba grimaced slightly, "Yes, I could easily make dinner, but it wouldn't be done even close to perfection. The noodles might be over or under-cooked or the wrong texture. I might do the same to the sauce, and I don't know how to season that just right…as for the meat, chicken is fairly simple, but again—I wouldn't be able to do it as well as a cook."

He wasn't sure where Jonouchi was going with this. It wasn't even noon, so there was no need to cook yet. Maybe he was uncomfortable with having food cooked for him or something. Whatever the case, Kaiba wasn't sure he wanted to embarrass himself by cooking for them.

Then again, Mokuba would be home in time for dinner, most likely…that might make it worthwhile.

But still. He wanted Jonouchi to have the full benefit of his facilities, if possible. He wasn't the most polite host, but he did try to make it up with generosity, which Yugi and his friends had learned over time. Hopefully actions would mean more than words.

"I was just curious, that's all."

And snorting, he wondered silently if they were going to actually leave the kitchen soon or not. It wasn't even close to dinnertime yet, and not enjoying the servants wandering around taking peeks at them, Jonouchi wanted some privacy. Or at least not be around where people could pass by and stare at him like he was some goldfish in a glass bowl.

"I know how to cook pretty well, I think, ramen being what I know best. I can also do soup and curry really well..."

Now he was just talking out of nerves. He wanted to go somewhere else, he just didn't know exactly where. And too shaken up from the confrontation earlier, he didn't feel brave enough yet to ask.

"I know you cook fairly well. You made a good dinner for us before."

Jonouchi seemed anxious, and Kaiba wondered if he'd embarrassed him somehow. Probably not, since Jonouchi tended to respond to that with anger. He tried to think of what he could do or say to lighten the mood, but was still a little on edge after putting Jonouchi off earlier.

"What do you want to do now? Since you're planning to stay. I know you wanted to see the koi pond, but there are a multitude of other things to do here."

Though he wasn't sure what of them Jonouchi would be interested in. Come to think of it, he still didn't know much about the man he was bringing into his house and risking a scandal to spend time with. That should probably be remedied.

"Good? It was just ramen. Next time I'll do something that take a bit more skill to make, and then you can tell me if I can cook or not."

Something like beef noodles. Pho was something he knew how to make, after trying it several times and figuring out how to make the noodles. Only problem was that flank steak was fairly expensive in Japan, but if it was for a special day sort of thing, he would take the burden of paying for it. Beef was really only something he had once a month anyways, so spending money on 'good' beef would be worth it to him.

There were also just simple stir-fry dishes with the prepackaged sauces he could do. The stores stocked everything he needed for it, like fresh yakisoba noodles and vegetables both canned and bagged for him to use in the dish. It wasn't something he had done many times, but with a good wok, it wasn't that hard to make. He had done it before, and chicken was fairly easy to do all sliced up.

"And I guess I'd like to see more of the inside of your house… anywhere private, so I don't have to see your maids snooping around my back all day."

"Private?"

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi, not because he was upset, but because he wasn't sure where to take them. Everywhere in the house was intended to look good and entertain large quantities of guests. That meant cameras, security, and domestic workers all over the place.

The few rooms that were exceptions were his and Mokuba's bedrooms, the game room, movie room, his home 'lab', and his study. Everywhere else was practically a public forum. He wasn't taking Jonouchi to his study—absolutely not. And while his bedroom was almost the size of the penthouse, and there were things to do there, he was sure Jonouchi wouldn't feel comfortable doing anything that close to his bed. The lab might be fine from a touristic point of view, but it had some of his in-dev hardware, software, and games in it. Not all of them were safe to be tampered with by strangers. Especially one as klutzy as Jonouchi.

"We have a home theater and a game room," he offered, "The maids and security aren't allowed in there, and there aren't any cameras. There's also my so-called laboratory. That's Mokuba's term for it. It's really just a room with tools, scrap metal, and a few workbenches in it. It's where I build things. There are some electrical conductors in there that shoot lightning though, I find that entertaining."

Jonouchi liked the sound of the lab. It was something he was more familiar with, being good with his hands and knowing how to put together simple electronics. Sure, he couldn't do something as advanced as creating a duel disk, but he could put together easy battery and remote control systems without a problem. After fooling around so much with wires, it became second nature.

He could even hot wire a car.

Shop class was his best class in high school too. It was the only one that could keep his attention, his mild ADHD often getting the best of him. Using his hands all two hours kept his focus on work, and being very quick with putting together models and kits, the thought of seeing something very advanced appealed to him. Especially since Kaiba knew how to go above and beyond.

"I'd like to see your lab, if you don't mind… And yes, I promise not to touch anything. So don't ask."

He knew Kaiba thought he was a bit of a spaz who couldn't keep his hands to himself. That wasn't really the case, except for a few times. Since he was a guest in the other man's house, he couldn't try grabbing at anything unless it was offered to him. Jonouchi knew better. And he really didn't feel like being snapped at for a second time that day.

"You can touch things. Just get my permission first. Not everything in that room is…stable."

He began leading the way to his upstairs lab. Actually, he could only hope that Jonouchi didn't accidentally set off an energy pulse that would shut down the entire city or cause a massive fire. He knew Jonouchi wasn't _that _clumsy, but the materials in the lab were mostly experimental and sensitive technology that, when handled wrongly, could have disastrous effects.

Jonouchi rolled his eyes, following behind Kaiba while glancing around at the spectacular house. There was so much about it that he found different and alien, most notably the furniture and decor. It was so European, unlike anything he was used to, even in the United States. Everything looked so expensive and fragile, from the marble busts to the hanging oil paintings, and it made him wonder how anyone could choose to live in a house like that.

He couldn't. Everything was too stuffy and fake, despite being aesthetically beautiful. It was like being trapped in the worst time period. Looking around past the grand staircase, Jonouchi found it even more bizarre that someone would make such a house in Japan. The property alone had to cost a fortune, but brick foundation and Persian rugs in every room? Jonouchi found it to be too much.

Hopefully the lab would be different. He hoped the work space would be more modern, like the hotel room, or lack the features that made the rest of the house so cold. It probably would, because Kaiba needed the space for all his "toys", but still. Who knew how he had the room designed.

"Did you make a new Duel Disk system yet?" asked Jonouchi, glancing back up at Kaiba's head. "The current one's a bit heavy and made my arm cramp up all the damn time."

"I'm still working on it," Kaiba nodded, well aware of these complaints, "I want them to be as comfortable as possible, but there's no point releasing a new generation with only minor improvements. Kaiba Corporation isn't Apple."

He turned his nose up at Apple and Microsoft for creating new operating systems and patches for every little thing, especially when it should have been there in the first place. He maintained a higher standard—a "more bang for your buck" policy, to a degree.

The laboratory was lit by fluorescents making the white walls and cement floor a bit stark, but it was easy to see and easy to clean. All the stainless steel tables had cleared work space in the center surrounded by scrap parts and the like. His finished items were neatly on display on wall shelves, or in strong steel boxes beneath the worktables.

"Here we are," he announced, stepping aside to let Jonouchi in, "Feel free to explore. Just try not to hurt yourself."

Snorting indignantly, Jonouchi walked off towards the finished projects, wanting to see what Kaiba had displayed on the walls. Most of it was confusing at best, since he didn't understand robotics past basic model cars and the like. He could put one of those together, but the type of electronics Kaiba had created went far beyond his scope of understanding. They were strange and unorthodox, and completely enthralled with the different designs and structures, Jonouchi went completely silent.

The old duel disk was on the wall, looking quite ancient in comparison to the one Jonouchi had at home. Remembering duelist kingdom, he found it annoying that it actually had to be thrown to be activated, but the technology was impressive. The holographic technology was top notch for the time it was developed (until Kaiba made it better), and Kaiba had probably built it on his own. He couldn't imagine doing something so daunting all alone.

He just stood in front of the giant display for a long time, staring at it all with his arms folded, before glancing back at Kaiba. Damn, his friend was a nerd. The biggest nerd he had ever known. And a giant queer. How did that happen?

And glancing back towards the inventions, he wondered how the man's brain came up with half the shit he was seeing. It was amazing.

Since Jonouchi didn't seem to know what to investigate first, Kaiba chose to offer a little direction. Stepping forward to stand beside the other man, he took from the shelf a very reflective metal sphere, one which would fit in his palm.

"See this?" He held it firmly in both hands, as it was relatively heavy. "It looks like some feng shui crap, but it's actually a machine. Watch this."

He set the sphere on his workbench, ensuring it didn't start rolling away before he had a chance to do anything with it. It was intentionally built to be durable enough to withstand the fall, but he still preferred not to embarrass himself.

"Activate," he commanded, and after a quiet whirring sound, crevices appeared all over the sphere; the outside of it was actually a seamless collection of metal plates that were flush against each other and so well-designed that it was nearly impossible to see the cracks.

When the robotic ball had unraveled itself and shifted its plates into the proper position, it was revealed to be a metal four-legged lizard, which started wandering around the desk. Then it started taking lightning-fast photos of Jonouchi using its eyes, recording his every motion in order to learn how to interact with him and build a "memory".

"It's supposed to be a birthday present for Mokuba at some point," he explained, lifting the robot into his hands, where it promptly lay down, "But it isn't finished yet. I want to ensure that the virtual intelligence isn't too faulty to depend on. And I still hope to improve its 'brain' to an actual artificial intelligence system, but that's a long shot."

When the machine first unfolded itself, Jonouchi couldn't help but jump. It spooked him, how quickly the thing changed like some mini-transformer, and staring curiously at it, he wondered how Kaiba managed to make something so flawless _just for fun_. Although it was metal and shiny, the structure of the lizard looked completely real, from the artificial veins to the musculature.

"How exactly did you make that thing?" blurted out Jonouchi, wanting to touch it but not quite confident enough to ask.

It resembled something like a bearded dragon, how it just laid chilling on Kaiba's arm before flickering its tongue, staring down Jonouchi as the LED lights in its eyes kept flashing pictures. He found it slightly unnerving, just how much it seemed focused on him, and it made him wonder if maybe the idea came from some old Kaiba Corp design for recon machines. A look-alike lizard in the jungle would be pretty clever.

"I mean, it looks real. And it acts real. I've never seen anything like it, and I'm sure Mokuba would love that thing, since you don't seem to have any animals around. Although the whole videoing me with its eyes, that's kinda creepy."

"It's figuring out how to interact with you," Kaiba explained, "When it stops photographing, it'll let you hold it and play with it or whatever. It photographs for at least a full minute upon first encountering an organic life form so it can tell how docile or hostile to be."

He was pretty proud of it, actually. More of the physical form than its computer intelligence, but he supposed that simulating reality was one of the things he did best. He set very high standards for himself in that field—especially considering the fact that he'd been forced to give some of his schematics to the government on pain of permanent detainment in federal facilities, and now other companies had some of the hardware capability that was once synonymous with Kaiba Corporation. If he didn't keep his standards high, he wouldn't stay ahead.

"It'll never need batteries or a recharge," Kaiba continued, handing the now-acclimatized lizard to Jonouchi, "It runs on an energy core I developed. So far as I can tell, the energy will always self-recycle so long as the lizard has time to rest. Much like humans, actually."

The machine seemed trusting of Jonouchi, so obviously it hadn't detected anything negative from him when it had been watching and listening. Of course, it based some of its responses on the actions of its 'master', so perhaps if he'd been smacking Jonouchi around or some such, things would be different.

"If I manage to develop a real, sentient AI, I want to build my own pet," he smirked, slightly in humor at himself. God, he really was a complete nerd. "I've all ready started schematics for it, but it'll be larger and more complicated."

By which he meant "a dragon", but he didn't want to tell Jonouchi about that little fantasy of his.

Taking hold of it, Jonouchi just held it in front of him for a long time studying the thing before bringing it to his arms. The machine was unsettling, in just how animalistic it appeared to be. He could see himself wanting one, only because he couldn't afford a real pet, but the thing would need a good paint job and maybe a scent system to take it appear and feel a bit more real.

"Why wouldn't you just get a real pet?" He asked while examining its tail. " It's not like you can't afford one. And with as many people in this house, you wouldn't have to worry about someone not taking care of it. Hell, if I were you, I'd adopt a dog or something."

He had always wanted one. Jonouchi had whined to his mother many times about getting fish, but in his heart he wanted a dog. A big dog he could rough house with and run outside whenever he felt like taking jogs. Something that would love him and stick by, unlike the other people in his life. Dogs were loyal. And not having much of that sort of thing in his life, it was no shock to anyone that such an animal would appeal to him.

"Not that this lizard isn't cool. It is. I can't believe you made something like this in your free time, I can barely get a model plane off the ground sometimes. This is just amazing. Although it's also nerdy as hell," said Jonouchi, flashing his eyes up at Kaiba, "Only you would come up with something as geeky as this."

It was a strange compliment of sorts.

"Of course only I would. Being above and beyond is how my company has succeeded."

He watched the lizard rest its head on Jonouchi's arm, nestling against him. Certainly, the thing was cuddly. But he wanted it to be more realistic. A synthetic skin and some claws would make it far less eerie a pet.

"As for getting an actual pet…Mokuba is interested in entertaining himself with animals, but not with taking care of them. He likes lizards, and a machine will be zero maintenance. It won't scurry off and he won't have to remember to feed it.

I still want a dog. Hell, I'd consider one as large as an Akita even, but I'm not physically active enough to have one. Not to mention, it'd probably get lost trying to find the door so it could defecate. That, and I like pushing the limits of machinery. If I could make mechanical pets that were suitable replacements for real ones, there would be a lot more options for people who can't afford to have them or take care of them."

He figured Jonouchi would understand that, having been a kid who wanted a pet badly and was not granted one. Any kid who wanted a pet should be able to have one, shouldn't they? They should, in his opinion. He couldn't personally coddle all the children of the world, so he'd have to do his best with his products.

"I guess. But you can't replace the love a pet can have for an owner. That isn't something that can be faked, but this would still be neat to have. Something to keep the loneliness back, and I like how real it looks. Did you name it?"

He knew Kaiba probably hadn't, but all pets deserved names, even fake ones. Hell, as a kid, Jonouchi named all his toys and even his sister's stuffed animals. Snatched her toy dog and never gave it back, it was still hidden somewhere in his apartment where Honda couldn't find it. His memories wouldn't allow him to just toss it in the trash.

"A dog like this would be very cool. Although kinda weird too. I don't know how you would copy the heat and fur of a living animal, but I'm sure you of all people could figure it out. And the drooling," Jonouchi added, "you can't take away the dropping. Or the smells they have, even if it isn't all that pleasant."

Finding a seat, Jonouchi laid the lizard on his leg, the thing staring at his face as his tongue flickered. It was like he was trying to taste the air, but of course it really wasn't. Every once in a while the robot would scurry, running up Jonouchi's chest as he stared down at it until it stuck it's head down his shirt.

"What the hell is it doing?"

"Being a lizard," Kaiba smirked in amusement, "It's very intelligent, Jonouchi. Maybe it's not a 'real pet' to you, but I consider it one. Right now, its name is 'Orthos', but I'm sure Mokuba will come up with something less…technological."

He watched Jonouchi poke the lizard to make it stop trying to burrow into his shirt. The lizard was not easily daunted. It seemed to have taken a liking to Jonouchi, likely because he was less clinical with it than Kaiba had been.

"It's searching for heat. Being a reptile, it wants to find places to curl up and stay warm. Your chest is one of the best places for it to cling and collect heat."

Jonouchi seemed concerned about the creature's interactions with him, which made sense. It was still a machine. Kaiba considered Orthos a real 'animal', even if it was synthetic, but he wasn't sure he should admit that. He'd probably sound like he had an even more massive tech boner than he all ready did, and that was no good.

"I could probably build dogs and cats like this. If I could create synthetic skin and fur that would match the real thing and simulate injury, regeneration, body heat…even shedding, possibly…then they would have quite a lot of potential.

"They'd be really expensive too though. More expensive than an actual real cat or dog," replied Jonouchi, trying to pry the thing off his chest is it dug its head farther down his shirt. "I mean sure, animal food is pricey and all, but how much do you think those things are going to cost to produce? With all the care you put into them too, people are going to want specialized features…"

Something that would make the pet theirs and unlike everyone else's. That was part of the appeal of having pets. People wanted something special that would adore and love them, not anyone else. Dogs looked up to their masters and cats sought the company of their caretakers. That sort of affection would be hard to copy.

But maybe Kaiba would be able to replicate it. Somehow. It would require more AI technology, making each pet more unique and individualistic, but it could be done. Reptiles wouldn't need that sort of programming, but a realistic cat or dog… hell, a horse, would need specialized characteristics. Or else they would not be lovable.

"And how are you going to program something to love?"

"Regarding cost, if I played my cards rightly, then I could make them relatively inexpensive. Still not cheap, but far cheaper than the damage and care of a real pet over its lifetime. Pets could become unique on their own—the VI Orthos has, for instance, gives it the intelligence to build a personality based upon that of those with whom they interact.

For instance, before you showed up, I was the only person who interacted with Orthos, and he was mostly just lazy since all I did in here was work. He's more active since you showed up. He never tried to crawl into my shirt, either. He can tell that you're more inviting."

Yes, like an organic animal, the machine could tell who would make concessions and who would not. Kaiba had a tendency to believe in strict training and hierarchy until an animal learned not to try insubordination. Orthos could detect that Jonouchi wasn't that way.

"Love is mostly a chemical reaction, as humans understand it. It's a combination of wanting companionship, admiration, and lust. The love an animal has for its companion can be easily synthesized. It will learn loyalty over time, like a car computer learns to use its gas to full capacity if you put the same gas into it every time you fill."

It was more complicated than that, but he would just bore Jonouchi with fine, complicated terms and details. He preferred to make things as simple as possible.

"If I can perfect the VI, then these pets would learn a type of 'admiration', so to speak, in that they can understand how to respond with gratitude and eventually return love in kind."

"How often did you take it out before I came?"

Jonouchi had given up trying to stop the lizard, just letting it have its way. The thing burrowed down into his shirt, a dark lump against the black fabric, doing what could have been taken as a nap. If robots could actually sleep. It didn't seem too concerned about taking up the blond's personal space, and giving up on pulling it out, Jonouchi just let it stay there.

"If it's anything like a real animal, you need to play with it. Or at least have it hanging around. It's not like it's going to crap all over your office or anything, and it doesn't seem to want to climb all over you like it does me. If I had something to just hang around with me while I was at work, things would be far more interesting there…"

He didn't completely understand how Kaiba could fake love, it sounded too simple. Emotions as strong as those couldn't just be made up, or simplified into chemical reactions. They had to mean more than that. If a dog would put down it's life for its owner, it couldn't just be because one chemical in its brain reacted to another.

"I've kept him deactivated because he was getting too attached," Kaiba explained, watching the lizard get comfortable while it clung to Jonouchi's chest just over his heart. "He's supposed to be Mokuba's pet, but after enough attention and time, he started forging too deep a bond with me. He's programmed to detect and desire companionship."

As all creatures were, he supposed. Orthos was a very friendly lizard, which was fine for Mokuba, since he'd want a low-maintenance pet who'd want to spend a lot of time with him. But Orthos was also prone to building loyalty, and Kaiba didn't want him loyal to the wrong person.

That said, he did miss the company even if it wasn't as compassionate as that of a cat or dog. Or that of a human. Having Orthos scurry around the place or just find a warm spot to sit and 'nap' for a while as he worked had been a welcome change. Not to mention, it had been a good trial period for him to tweak the machine's movement and make it look natural.

"Be careful," he warned jokingly, "If you're too nice to him, you may be leaving here with a new pet."

"Ha, very funny."

And slightly anxious over the prospect of that happening, Jonouchi finally was able to pull the thing from his chest, only for it to scurry up into his hair. The metallic lizard just sat there, head peeking out of golden hair, flickering his tongue at Kaiba's face as it began to close its eyes. Jonouchi couldn't see what it was doing, but it appeared like it was going to recharge itself while lying on his head.

"What is that thing doing?"

He had no clue if it would try biting him if he went to pick it up. It seemed content on staying up on his head, unmoving. Kaiba probably designed teeth too, and the claws were hard enough that he didn't want to mess with it. Sure, it wasn't a real lizard, but still.

"If you're worried about it becoming attached to other people, why haven't you just given it to Mokuba yet? I'm sure he'd appreciate it, and the company would be interesting… I know I'd love to have something like this, if I couldn't have a real pet. It might also help getting your brother to talk to you again."

"His birthday is coming soon. I'm using the little extra time to make sure it's ready to go. Also, it seems to be nesting in your hair. It's warm there, so he's probably going to take a 'nap' and let his energy refill."

Jonouchi seemed wary of the lizard. Perhaps he thought it was unpredictable. That was a legitimate concern, but Orthos wasn't intended to bite his friends. Kaiba lifted the creature from Jonouchi's hair (with some effort) and held it in his palm.

"Deactivate," he commanded, and the lizard curled back into its sphere shape.

He set it back where it belonged on the shelf, examining the other objects there and wondering if there was anything else that might interest his guest. He had plenty of hardware, electricity and energy-based tech, small computers…most of those things sounded like they would bore Jonouchi. Certainly, he wasn't hiding any more pets up there.

"I have a lightning gun," he offered, knowing that wanton destruction tended to appeal to other males.

"What the hell is a lighting gun?"

He was a bit sad to see the lizard go away, but then again, it wasn't a real one. It would be silly to get attached to a piece of hardware, even if Kaiba did a brilliant job constructing it. Really, Jonouchi just wanted something to get attached to. Something to care about, since his sister was gone and Mai had left him. For the first time in a long time, he had no one in his life and as sad as it sounded in his head, he wanted something to love… even if it was a silly robot.

But a lighting gun sounded wicked cool. He couldn't figure out in his head just what Kaiba would make one for, or how exactly it would work, but hopefully the nerd would show off and Jonouchi would get one hell of a show. It was interesting already, seeing all the neat "toys" Kaiba had hiding in his lab, things he probably would never show the public because he wanted to keep it private.

"It's a gun that shoots lightning," Kaiba shrugged, before removing a metal storage box from the shelf. It required a code to open, being the container for a very dangerous objects.

The 'gun' was actually more like the handle of a bulky pistol with electrical conductors where the barrel should be. It required pulling a trigger to use, though it had to be held down for a good few seconds before it had enough energy to actually shoot.

"Here," he stood behind Jonouchi, guiding his hand to hold the weapon properly, "Aim it at the concrete floor, all right? Otherwise this could end very poorly."

Noticing that the dial on the thing was set to a blast angle of almost 180 degrees, he quickly corrected that and turned it down to under ten. If it shot in that large an area, things would be…bad.

"You'll have to hold down the trigger for a few seconds while it charges a shot. Don't lose aim and brace yourself for a kick. You'll be fine if you accidentally hit one of the walls, but anything else will probably result in injury."

"I know how to shoot a gun, Kaiba."

Not that Jonouchi was going to explain how exactly he knew, since civilians weren't supposed to have them. He had minimal experience, but being a quick learner, he knew how to hold a pistol, aim through the eyes, and brace well enough to take a kick back of a small hand gun.

To him, the lighting gun looked no different except for the missing barrel. There was no chamber either, which made it resemble a laser gun, making Jonouchi grin a little when he realized it. Looking a bit closer, he realized that it was almost exactly like the guns he saw at KaibaLand years ago.

Targeting the floor, he looked into the rear sight and pulled the trigger, waiting for that kick back. It took a few seconds, a cracking noise echoing inside the weapon before a line of electricity came shooting out, hitting the ground hard and leaving a black scorch mark there.

When all the energy had expelled from it, Jonouchi placed the machine on safety and turned slightly back at Kaiba, a look of excitement all across his face.

"How did you make this?"

"I created a new type of energy," Kaiba began, realizing that would open an entirely new issue, "Along with it, I made several cores. One of them, the type that simulates the way organics store and use energy, is in Orthos. One of the other types is one that raises and releases energy. That's in the gun.

You can't see them, but inside the shaft where the conductors connect, there are two very small magnets that run on an energy-based motor and spin, propelling each other, very quickly. That's how the blast can be concentrated."

He realized he was being simple in his explanation again. It concerned him that he might be insulting Jonouchi's intelligence, but even Mokuba didn't want to hear the fine details of his work most of the time. Besides, he couldn't quite explain how he'd understood how to build some of the things he had. He only wrote out about a third of the schematics, and the parts that were stored in his head were difficult to explain.

"I electrocuted myself quite a bit while building it," he muttered, "I eventually had to wear full-body protection to keep myself from being killed."

"Huh. And why did you make it? Or do you just enjoy getting yourself into near death situations? That seems to happen a lot to you, Kaiba."

Jonouchi wasn't insulted by the simple explanation. He failed both high school chemistry and physics, not understanding anything that was being taught to him. It just went over his head, the studies of atoms and how energy came to be. None of it made any sense.

"You must have a lot of time on your hands to come up with stuff like this. Or maybe not actual time, but you seem dedicated to it. I know I can't come up with things like this, I prefer rebuilding things or remodeling. Like on cars and shit. That's really the only thing I can do well."

He just refused to become some lowly mechanic with no college degree. For whatever reason, Jonouchi still had it in his head that he could one day become something worth admiring, if he just pulled through with school. Although the blond didn't enjoy it, he knew unless he just dealt with the boredom and bore through it, he probably would never go anywhere great.

Or at least, nowhere great enough to win the respect of his mother.

"It doesn't usually take me a lot of time," Kaiba explained, "Most times, I all ready have the steps to take planned in my head, and I have an almost certain idea of how to make the science work. I don't really enjoy almost dying, but I do love science. The idea of making sentient machines or putting lightning in the palm of my hand is more exciting than…I don't know what. It's difficult to explain."

It wasn't completely true that he disliked near-death situations. He was renowned for his high-risk, high-reward way of acting and thinking. People didn't know that usually, when he took the risk, he all ready knew how to come out unscathed. On the occasion that he didn't, he tended to get a little nervous.

But the thrill was definitely a plus.

Handing the gun back to Kaiba, he walked off towards the display wall to investigate more things. It was amazing, all the toys and systems that were displayed there, things no one else would probably see except for him. Kaiba probably didn't just let anyone tour around his private space.

And it made him wonder a little but the study looked like. If this was the man's finished products, then what exactly was he working on? What did those blue prints look like? Jonouchi didn't know anything about inventing and the processes that went behind doing it, but now that he was seeing everything, it was beginning to appeal to him.

"Did you always want to be a inventor or was this something that was… I don't know, kinda pushed on you?"

Kaiba gazed at the multiple finished (and nearly finished) creations on his shelves as he pondered a response.

"I've been trying to build small machines since I was very little," he began, "When I was seven, my father bought me an Erector set and I seldom left the thing alone. After reading and learning enough about electricity and motors, I started adding other parts to it, from things I found around the house. Of course, usually I found those things by taking apart something else. My father disapproved."

He frowned a little at the memory of his late father torn between pride and rage when he came home to find just about anything with usable scrap in it in pieces on the floor. Now that he thought about it, his father must have known something about mechanics, because he always managed to fix the things little Seto destroyed.

"I ate up all the information about electricity and mechanics that I could understand as a kid. Ironically, I was discouraged from it for several years after I was adopted. Gozaburo didn't want me tinkering, at least until he felt he had control of what I would create.

I created the first generation of the solid illusion software when I was twelve years old. I wanted to use it for gaming, but Gozaburo disagreed. He stole the schematics and plans I'd put together and used them for illusion-based weaponry. I hear it's quite useful in guerrilla warfare."

Kaiba scowled in earnest, not really wanting to think about that point in time. Finding out he'd been responsible for the deaths of people in other countries because he'd been an idiot was something that still bothered him.

"Anyway," he brushed off the thoughts. He didn't want to sour the present situation with them. "Maybe if you had the opportunity to tinker with a computer like what I have here, you'd find you had a talent for it."

He smirked a little in amusement.

"Since we all ready know you're good with your hands."

Finding a clear spot on the table, Jonouchi propped himself up as he listened to Kaiba's story. He had never heard Kaiba talk so freely about it before, what happened to him as a kid. Any reference to his family was completely new and it made him curious about the man's childhood, but he asked nothing. It wasn't his place to know and he knew Kaiba wouldn't appreciate probing questions.

And Gozaburo. He knew very little about the man outside of what he found out in the virtual world. Their relationship had to have been very strained, since Jonouchi had heard the rumors from years ago. Something about the man jumping out of his office window, or Kaiba pushing him out of it… The whole thing was very shady.

But he doubted that Kaiba had actually done it. He wasn't some sociopath.

"My dad once bought me this piece of shit car when I was fourteen for me. I don't know why, because most of the time he was too damn drunk or up in his face in debt to afford rent, let alone a car, but he did. It was a complete crap junker, but I was able to work to buy new parts and turned it around for some cash.

Only thing was, my dad stole the money.

But yeah, I guess you can say I'm good with my hands. Just never had the chance to mess around with computers and I can't afford one right now. I'm afraid I'll break something that expensive, I don't know how the circuit boards in those things work…"

"Hmm," Kaiba leaned against one of the workbenches, arms and legs crossed as he thought. "If you're really interested, you can putz around with the equipment I have in the house. I just upgraded all of my machinery, and there isn't much I can do with the old stuff. It's still new enough to work spectacularly, but no charities wanted them because the equipment is 'outdated'."

Honestly, some of those people made him sick. Wouldn't someone who couldn't afford a high-end computer rather have one for free that was 'obsolete' than have none at all? But, alas, even he had to follow regulations. So now he had a dozen fully-functional computers with no assigned purpose except future scrap parts.

"I don't know how much you actually want to look into it, but the option is open. I can teach you the basics about computer components, since that isn't really complicated. But, as I said, that's your choice. I don't know if you were serious or just mentioning it off-hand."

He certainly wasn't going to knock himself out trying to convince Jonouchi to give it a try. While he thought it was a good idea (and wanted an excuse to tell someone about how great computers were), he figured it was best for Jonouchi to figure out what he actually wanted to do rather than end up forced into something he didn't care much about.

"Though, if you're anywhere near as good with computer mechanics as with a car, then you could turn that around for some cash, too. And perhaps have it to yourself, this time."

"You'll teach me? Because I don't want to break your stuff by accident. Not that I ever broke a car, but cars aren't so fragile. You can bang on them quite a bit and they'll survive with the right replacement parts. Computers are a little intimidating, I'll admit… The microchips are so small…"

But if Kaiba was willing to teach him, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. He highly doubted that the man would just let him fuck around with his equipment without some sort of instruction and guidance, since computers were expensive. Kaiba could probably make some quick cash selling the machines for parts, but maybe he was a little attached.

He seemed in love with electronics.

"I'd like to see how it works. And how you program them, since Honda used to always break his with crap. That and downloading bad porn that would crash his computer with viruses. Shit used to be funny, because he was too embarrassed to have his mother fix it, so he was always buying new stuff to replace the last laptop he fucked up."

"You won't have that problem with my computers," Kaiba worked to keep a straight face, the idea of Jonouchi laughing at a flustered Honda with a broken laptop almost too amusing to resist, "And you won't have to deal with microchips. There are less than a dozen main, large parts you have to purchase to build a computer. All the little bits come attached, so you don't need to know about those yet."

Honestly, the hardest part about building a computer was making sure the parts bought weren't garbage. Like ensuring the processor had hyper-threading, or understanding that it was the graphics card—not the memory or RAM—that determined how quickly the machine could register video, images, and the like. However, his computers all ready had the parts inside. He'd just show Jonouchi what they were and where they belonged.

"I can start you with one of them. Once you understand the components and how to build them into a computer frame, you can mix and match with the other computers. As for operating systems and anti-virus…that's more complicated.

For instance, would you rather run iOS, Windows, Linux, or Azure?"

"Which is the best?"

He didn't know the difference between the software companies. They all appeared the same to him, except for the different logos and whatnot they had stamped on their computers. It didn't make a difference to him which he started on, as long as he ended up understanding them all when Kaiba got through teaching him what he needed to know.

Taking things apart appealed to him. And so did putting them back together better than they were before. Jonouchi didn't have the intellectual capacity to create, but he did know how to make things better. How to make things function smoothly and effortlessly, especially with electronic toys and cars. Or bikes, he could fix bikes very well too.

"And I can't believe you built a holographic program at twelve. That's quite unbelievable. I could only manage car models at that age, and I knew how to break apart and put together my bike… But that? You're so smart..."

He wondered if Kaiba knew just how lucky he was.

"My intelligence and capacity to innovate and create were what got me adopted," he stated, almost robotically not sure if that statement warranted positive or negative connotations. Certainly, he had suffered considerably from an emotional and mental standpoint under Gozaburo, but he'd risen from it undaunted—scarred, perhaps, but he'd die before he let his past cripple him.

Yes, he'd survived, he'd grown stronger, and he'd worked his ass off to get where he was. There had been hard knocks, and a good four years of his young life had been almost hellish, but if he really thought about it, that was a very short time of suffering for the rewards he'd obtained.

Especially compared to Jonouchi, who had been struggling probably since day one, and saw no improvement for it. When he thought about it, he could have handled anything that was thrown at him if he knew he was still on the path to reaching his goal. Jonouchi wasn't even granted that consolation.

"As for operating systems…it depends on what you want to do. Windows is considered the best for gaming and casual use. Macintosh OS is the undisputed best for media like movie, image, and music creation. Linux is a programmer's operating system, first and foremost. The largest space it consumes is five gigabytes, and it's fast as hell. If you want to be able to customize everything about your computer, that's the one for you.

Azure…well, it's still something of a secret, but it's the operating system I built myself. It's supposed to be something of a balance among all three of the others, seeing as they're all rather polarized. I built it primarily for my own use, but you can feel free to install it."

"You'll have to show me how. Again, I don't know the first thing about computers and I learn from handling shit. Talking about it doesn't make too much sense in my head. I guess that's just the way my mind works…" He felt a little stupid for admitting it, "But if you showed me how to break it apart and built it up again, I could do it.

Despite what you might have thought years ago, I am a fast learner. Yugi's grandfather taught me how to play duel monsters like a champ after only a few weeks, and I came up with my deck mostly by myself. Sure, I lost to you a few times among other people, but I'm a good duelist."

And jumping off the table, he started looking around at other things, wanting to investigate as much as he could before settling down to tear up old computers. He didn't know where Kaiba had them stored or if he wanted to even get to it at that moment in time. It didn't matter really to Jonouchi, since he figured he'd be around a lot more often.

Kaiba wasn't angry with him anymore. He seemed relaxed and calm again, probably because the conversation had stayed more in line with the things he liked, which was fine with Jonouchi. When the man wasn't on edge, he was pretty decent company, and wanting to keep the mood light, he pointed to an odd looking duel disk before asking over it.

"What's this exactly?"

"Ah," Kaiba lifted the duel disk prototype from the shelf, "This is what will become the new edition of the Duel Disk. It's all steel and tech right now—no point adding color until it's perfected."

He took the liberty of fitting it onto Jonouchi's uninjured arm, deciding he could use feedback on the device anyway. It was shaped differently than the previous generation; there were less pointy edges, and it was more streamlined than geometrical now. It had been inspired partly by the design of the Doom cult's devices, but his didn't have the extra card spaces or eat souls.

"You'll have to let me know how it feels. I tried to make it lighter and less bulky than the previous model. Fortunately, my technology has advanced since then, and the parts inside that made it so heavy have been consolidated into fewer components entirely, or minimized in size."

He could tell he was getting overexcited and using terms that were too technical more than likely, but he couldn't help himself. Two of his great passions—technology and Duel Monsters—in a single conversation? How could he remain completely calm? Especially since he was essentially doing what he did at tech panels, which was selling his product to the audience. Who, in this case, was Jonouchi.

"The biggest improvement in this version is that the graphics are now on-par with any VR you might find in my theme parks. I've also added a 'favorite' system, in which up to five monsters at a time can be selected as your personal favorites, and will learn to recognize and respond to you more individually than the rest."

He had been wary to implement that feature, seeing as everyone all ready thought he had a little too much love for the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, but at the end of the day…he didn't give a fuck.

"So my Red eyes would react to me putting it into play? That would be interesting."

He wished he had his deck at that moment, but Jonouchi had left it at home. It was locked in his closet in case someone tried breaking into his apartment, inside a bolted black lock box. His cards were expensive and after the run in with the Ghouls, he didn't want to risk anyone else trying to steal his beloved dragon. Although it was just a card, it meant a great deal to him.

Mainly because it was given to him by a great friend. Yugi, who was off in America somewhere probably dueling his ass off. Sure, Jonouchi was slightly jealous of the situation, but he didn't hold any resentment. His best friend was just better at it. And that was how things were. He already tried to beat him at Duelist Kingdom, but nothing really came of it.

The idea of beating Kaiba though still appealed to him. Well, he highly doubted at this point in his career he'd be able to manage that, but maybe he could give the guy a good run for his money. Keep things interesting, even if winning wasn't very possible. He knew Kaiba was the better duelist. Being able to afford the best cards and having the superior intellect just gave him the unfair advantage. He couldn't get mad about it any longer.

"One of these days we need to try dueling each other again… Maybe for trying out your Duel Disk. Still want to, Kaiba?"

"Duel you? Of course I still want to—now more than ever."

In all honesty, he had never thought that playing against someone who was a friend rather than just a respected rival would be beneficial, but he was beginning to understand it. He was competitive, but playing against a friend, he didn't have anything to prove, especially when it came to Jonouchi—who was far from being an elitist. That, and the fact that they might be able to truly do it for fun, like he did with online or console games, was a more appealing concept than he'd expected.

"I'll have you use the prototype when the time comes. I need a second opinion on it, and I'm interested to see what monster you choose as your favorite…and how it responds to you."

If his hunch was correct, and Jonouchi chose Red-Eyes Black Dragon, a battle between a loyal Red-Eyes and loyal Blue-Eyes would be spectacular. His eyes widened in enthusiasm as he imagined it, and he worked to reel in his expression. He was getting worked up over nothing.

Mokuba liked to pick on him, saying that technology was his porn and he probably splooged every time he cracked a network or got a machine running. Kaiba disliked these claims and always denied them quite defensively, but he had to admit that he was maybe a little too passionate about technology.

"I'm pretty sure you know what I'll end up picking. It's not like you haven't seen me duel, and I haven't changed my deck since my "retirement". There was no point in buying new cards, so I still stick to my Red Eyes Black Dragon. It's my most valuable card, and even if its power isn't as great as your Blue Eyes, I can power it up…"

That's what magic cards were for and he had plenty of them. It would be difficult to max it up to 3000 points like Kaiba's dragons, but it could be done. If he played safe and didn't allow himself to become baited into a trap or get hot headed over a comment… Kaiba would probably still fight a little dirty. Not dirty maybe, but he played to win and that came along with trying to make Jonouchi lose his cool.

But playing with the new duel disk before everyone else would be something. He wouldn't really be able to tell anyone about it (because who would believe him?), but still… new technology. And this time it wouldn't be so humiliating like when Kaiba used him as an example for his first duel disk system.

"You know if we do this, it'll make it the second time you've used me for beta testing, right?"

If he really thought it through, that was true. Maybe he hadn't actually recruited Jonouchi to beta test his VR game, but he'd still done it. Risked his life doing it, too.

"Perhaps I should figure out some kind of payment," he mused, "That first time, you put a lot on the line, and I never really repaid you."

The fact that Jonouchi still thought the VR machines should be available to the public after that experience surprised Kaiba. He himself wouldn't want to be trapped inside one of those things again, ever. Especially after the Noa fiasco, he was resolved to simply enjoying the solid illusion software he had developed. He wasn't in the mood to risk losing his ability to function because of company sabotage.

Not to mention, the games were intended for kids and young people in general. He couldn't live with himself if something went wrong.

"I don't want anything and that's not what I'm talking about. Don't you remember the first time we dueled against each other? You used your first duel disk because you wanted to test the system out on me, or did you forget about that already? Because I certainly haven't. You were ruthless…"

And it kinda pissed him off, his feelings still wounded over the whole thing. He couldn't get over how Kaiba treated him, and taking the duel disk off, he set it back on the shelf before leaning against the table in thought. It wasn't like he gave Kaiba any reason at that point to be civil with him, but still. Kaiba had rejected him first. For no reason.

"I guess I ended up beta testing for virtual world technology too, but it wasn't on purpose…"

"Oh," Kaiba averted his gaze, recalling the incident. He'd hardly considered that beta testing. More of a cruel prank than anything, even if at the time he'd considered it to be testing the technology for his purposes. It had been an ego boost. And he certainly had put Jonouchi down. He'd acted like a scumbag, he admitted—if only to himself. He'd been daunted by the task before him, which of course was penetrating Pegasus's castle and defeating the creator of Duel Monsters himself. As a result, he'd given himself a self-esteem session via beating the crap out of Jonouchi. Jonouchi hadn't deserved that in any capacity.

"I suppose the only way I can repay you for _that _is by not treating you like shit again," he noted, and then cleared his throat when he noticed his voice was a bit breathy. "I won't be such an ass when we duel again. I'm going to trash-talk you, make no mistake, but…not like that."

He ran one hand over the new duel disk absently before facing Jonouchi again.

"Do you want to see your computer now? We don't have to start working on it immediately, but you can decide whether or not you want it."

He just wanted to change the topic. Jonouchi seemed a little upset by the memories, much as he was himself.

Jonouchi quickly recovered, looking up at his companion before glancing back at the new duel disk. He wanted to see what Kaiba made exactly. What it looked like and how he had programmed it, since the man was an excellent engineer. It was still boggling his mind that he was willing to give him a computer for nothing, especially one he designed himself and could probably run perfectly fine, yet Kaiba was going to let him tinker with it.

"Yeah, I'd like to."

And moving over to where Kaiba was standing, he looked around for where the man had it stored. It didn't look like it was in the room, which meant it was probably somewhere else nearby where it couldn't get blasted into pieces. Good idea too, with the lightening gun close by and within shooting range.

"And Kaiba, I'm not mad about what happened back then. Don't think I'm trying to pick at you about it, because I'm not. Sure, it's a bit of a sore subject, but I've been letting it go… Eventually I'll just end up getting over it completely."

"I understand."

Looking back at Kaiba, he suddenly became interested in seeing where exactly Kaiba slept. Jonouchi had shown his bedroom, of sorts, and it was only fair he had the same chance. It was a little weird, and maybe slightly invasive, but he was curious.

"Where's your bedroom in this house?"

"My bedroom?"

He hadn't planned for this. The fact that Jonouchi even wanted to go there with him surprised him, but he supposed he could consider it a gesture of trust…for both of them. He didn't consider his bedroom that private, but it did have touches of himself in it. He had a large Ubuntu television mounted on the wall, where he surfed the internet or played video games on the occasion that he didn't have work to preoccupy his time. There were a few pictures of his own choosing, some framed posters…

He supposed, all in all, that the only reason not to take Jonouchi there would be not risking the discomfort of being in a bedroom with him. But since it had been his friend's idea, rather than his own…

"If you're fine with going, then I'll show you. The master bedroom is in the east wing of the house, on the third floor. Just to warn you, there's a lot of blue in there."

"I like the color blue."

He didn't see anything weird about going in there. Jonouchi had forced back the knowledge of his companion's attraction to him to the back of his head, trying to play it off as nothing because he was still slightly uncomfortable with it. As hard as he could, he tried to pretend it didn't matter and it meant nothing to him, but being from the area he was and growing up around a certain class of people… Kaiba's queerness slightly freaked him out.

And his own desire to keep hanging around him bothered Jonouchi even more.

But he wouldn't tell himself that anything was going on. He just wanted to see the man's bedroom. Where he lived, when he wasn't in Kaiba Corp or hiding in his study doing whatever it was he did there. There was nothing wrong with being curious.

Besides, he had already shared a bed with him before. It couldn't get anymore awkward than it already was.

"Where do we go from here?"

"It's on the opposite side of the house, on the third floor. We'll have to climb a couple of flights of stairs."

He led the way out of the computer room, down to the end of the hall. Then he turned the corner to their left, into another hallway where he knew there was a flight of stairs to the second floor in the middle. The climb wasn't that difficult, but it was a long and maze-like path to get to his room. He hoped Jonouchi never got lost here for any reason.

Once they'd progressed through another few hallways and a second flight of stairs, it was a short path to the wing where the master bedroom awaited them. After opening the heavy wooden double-doors and exposing the large room, he walked inside to open the curtains. The windows in here were enormous, and he normally lived like a vampire when he came in because he felt exposed. However, he didn't want to make Jonouchi think he was a total freak, keeping his room dark all day.

"Well," he announced, "We're here."

Jonouchi just stood at the doorway staring. His eyes trailed from Kaiba to the bed to the huge ass room, and he really didn't know what to make of it. The space was four times as big as his apartment, if not larger. He couldn't believe the mansion was so big, but the master bedroom? Huge. Even compared to American standards instead of Japanese, it was quite over sized.

He loved the huge windows. They were enormous, and fighting back the urge to smoke, Jonouchi hoped that maybe there was a balcony. Going down several flights of stairs to fix his nicotine habit would be ridiculous, especially since he'd certainly get lost trying to find his way back. And he really didn't want to make more of an ass of himself, the servants finding even more of a reason to talk about him as he stumbled around aimlessly after coming out of Kaiba's bedroom.

"This place looks like you never actually sleep here."

There were a few pictures on the wall, but he couldn't find many personal things there.

"Sleep is the only thing I do here," Kaiba shrugged, "That, and lie in bed high or drunk watching television or surfing the internet. Or gaming. I spend very few hours here, usually."

His few photographs on his bedside table were the most personal things in the room, but they were very close to his heart indeed…the posters, not so much. Favorite games of his were more of something one would expect from any young man. Unlike in his study, the place was pristine and almost like it was on display more than it was a place for someone to be comfortable.

Especially with the large, king-sized bed in there. Honestly, if the room wasn't so huge, he'd sleep on something smaller. Being in it alone just made the place seem even emptier.

Jonouchi had that look about him that said he wanted to smoke, and Kaiba decided to let him. He couldn't rightly tell him to go back downstairs for it, so instead, he opened the last curtain to reveal a set of French doors that led to the balcony.

"You can step outside, if you want," he offered, figuring he could stand out as well.

"Thank god."

And walking quickly over to where Kaiba was, he tried to push back the awkwardness as best he could. He was in another man's bedroom, a man who probably had a lot of quick boyfriends there, for trysts that never actually happened. It was strange thinking about Kaiba in that sort of context, because he rarely ever came off as sexual, but when he did…

It was strange.

Pulling out a cigarette, he stepped outside to greet the air and stuck the object in his mouth, fiddling with it until the lighter burned the tip. Jonouchi always liked to lean on the rail, arms folded across it, and side glancing at Kaiba, he wondered what the other man was thinking at that moment. It surprised him that he tolerated his smoking, because the smoke was rather disgusting. Unlike pot, there was nothing sweet and mild about it, but Jonouchi couldn't help his vice. And he saw no reason to quit.

"If you don't mind me asking," he started, eyeing Kaiba rather timidly before taking a long inhale of smoke, "How many guys have you brought up here before me?"

Kaiba side-eyed Jonouchi, not sure how comfortable he was discussing his past trysts with Jonouchi, seeing as he still didn't seem quite okay with his queerness.

"Just one," he admitted, leaning against the balcony rail, "The first man I ever did anything with, really. Things went surprisingly far before I changed my mind, but it was probably because he was pretty enthusiastic, you could say."

Most of his trysts hadn't occurred in his house, but he decided not to elaborate. He still wasn't sure if he perhaps gave too much detail about it as it was. He tended to give too many juicy details when he actually did get on the topic, but at least he hadn't gone into detail about what they'd actually done on his bed.

"I guess I shouldn't hang out on your bed then," snorted Jonouchi, exhaling smoke as he looked towards Kaiba. "God only knows what you were doing on there."

And he was curious, but refused to ask that question. It wasn't his business. His brain was telling him he really didn't want to know how Kaiba entertained himself with males, and he needed to change the topic quickly before one of them got too awkward. Homosexuality was not something he was comfortable with, and although he intended on keeping Kaiba was a friend, it was hard to accept.

Especially since he'd done some stuff with him.

"I'm just gonna assume your brother wasn't home for all of that."

"My bed is clean, Jonouchi…as for Mokuba, he was home, but his room is far away enough that he didn't have to be exposed to anything. I tried to keep myself and my lover out of sight when I brought him home."

Mokuba usually stayed out of the way when that was happening, anyway. He always kind of avoided the issue of Kaiba's sexuality, and he definitely didn't want to witness him sucking face with other men. Or even women, for that matter. But he shouldn't see that anyway, what with it taking place behind closed doors.

"Rest assured, the sheets have been washed. Not that anything was left behind. Never really got that far."

"Which means they weren't really lovers then, huh?" corrected Jonouchi, "Since you didn't actually have sex with them."

And becoming slightly irritated for reasons he didn't really understand, he took one last drag of his cigarette before tossing it on the ground and stomping it out more aggressively than necessary.

Well, he knew why he was ticked off. How could Kaiba hide this much about himself for so many years? Just play off like everyone was dirt under his boots while fooling around with a bunch of strangers behind everyone's backs? No one knew about his sexuality. His brother never talked about it and Kaiba had played off his homosexual tendencies like an Oscar-nominated actor. For some reason, Jonouchi felt lied to, and going back inside without saying anything else, he began looking for the video game consoles.

Maybe there was a shooter game he could take his frustration on. Anything violent, so it could distract him from saying something potentially offensive and getting yelled at again, he really didn't want that.

Kaiba watched Jonouchi silently for a while. He wasn't sure how to react. One moment, Jonouchi had been in relatively good humor, getting his nicotine fix and mildly teasing him about his sex life. Now he was violently rifling through his stack of games with a mildly sour expression on his face.

At first, he simply stood nearby and watched Jonouchi go on his ravenous search. After a few minutes had passed, and Jonouchi had chosen Halo: Reach out of the stack, Kaiba spoke.

"Did I say something offensive?"

He wasn't sure how he possibly had, but it was difficult to tell with Jonouchi. Some things that seemed innocent in his head would put Jonouchi in a poor mood. Other things that he thought would piss him off simply resulted in a snide comment and a shrug.

"No."

He found the Xbox and turned it on, completely focusing on the game while opening the top to put the disk in. His eyes never left the black machine, and once the game had loaded and the screen was showing the display menu, Jonouchi snatched a controller and moved to lean against the foot of the bed from the floor. All intentions on sitting anywhere else had left him.

And he knew he was being a bit of a brat, but he didn't care. He was offended, over something so silly. Glancing over at the other man, he realized he barely knew Kaiba at all. Never actually knew him, no matter what he had thought years ago. No matter how long they had been in each other's acquaintances. Ugh, it pissed him off so much that something so bizarre like that had been so easily swept under the rug from him, Jonouchi couldn't put his feelings into words.

Was it jealously? No. He didn't want Kaiba.

But he liked feeling like he at least knew him. Like all the years of bullying and fighting hadn't been for nothing. That they had known each other to some degree instead of being relative strangers. Jonouchi was beginning to realize that he had been lying to himself to save his ego the crushing blow that a gay man still thought he was a piece of shit.

After all those years.

Kaiba frowned at Jonouchi's behavior, offended that he was obviously having an attitude but had no qualms with using his stuff and sitting in his room. He took a second controller from the floor near the game console so he could play the campaign with Jonouchi. They started a new game, and he realized with some disdain that Jonouchi was playing on his account. His own character was not logged in.

Their Spartans started the game in a Pelican, hovering above Reach, and Jonouchi remained silent. Kaiba felt compelled to make some kind of conversation, or at least try. Either that, or actually kick Jonouchi out for being that kid who comes over to use your stuff but doesn't actually like you.

What the hell was he upset about? Was he angry about his queerness again? That didn't seem to make any sense. He was the one who'd asked about it…and for someone who was so eager to see the bedroom, he seemed very touchy about staying off the bed. Kaiba was sure as hell sitting on it. He wasn't going to make himself sore sitting on the ground.

"You're in a bad mood," he accused, "If I pissed you off, you could have the decency to tell me what I did rather than give me the silent treatment while you're sitting right next to me."

He decided not to mention directly that they were in _his _house, using _his _things, because somehow he suspected that would just send Jonouchi on another rampage out the door.

"It's not what you just did, but what you did years ago. I don't want to talk about it."

And trying to leave it as that, Jonouchi ran off in the game, fighting the other players rather brashly before getting himself killed by a Jackal. He really wasn't in practice for video games, although he'd learn quickly. Honda was the one who had the Xbox, and too fearful of theft to borrow it, he could only play when asked over to his house… and when the police officer father wasn't around to snoop.

Trying to pretend Kaiba's legs weren't right next to him, Jonouchi hunched his shoulders forward while waiting for his character to re-spawn. He didn't like feeling Kaiba's presence over him, although he was sure his eyes weren't on him for once. It was unsettling to him regardless and he couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched. He hated it.

More than anything, he wished Kaiba just continued to have rejected him, instead of deciding out of nowhere that Jonouchi was finally worth looking at.

"When I used to play this at Honda's house, his dad was always watching to make sure I wouldn't snatch his shit. I'm pretty sure he'd seen my record, because he was a cop, and I hated that man. I hated how he talked down to me, and I'm glad I'll never see that asshole again."

Came out of nowhere, but Jonouchi didn't care.

"He was suspicious because of your record? Unless I'm mistaken, you were out of the gang by the time you and Honda became friends."

He was surprised Jonouchi had told him that. Almost as surprised as he was that Jonouchi kept shooting down their fellow space Marines like he thought they were the enemies. They didn't even look similar to the aliens they were supposed to be fighting. Either he was confused, or he was in a piss-poor mood. At least he was talking again.

As for what he'd done years ago…that could be any multitude of things, and he burned to ask after it, but Jonouchi wanted to drop the subject, obviously. They'd likely end up in an argument if he persisted, anyway, and he'd rather they stay friends for more than an hour at once…while conscious.

"If he was that condescending, why let you in his house at all? Unless he enjoyed being a dick to you."

"He enjoyed it and wanted to find something to bust me for. I wasn't out of the gang when I met Honda, and only because of his help did I ever manage to find reason to get out."

Honda was the one who really pushed him to leave. Sure, Yugi was an influence too, but without his first best friend, Jonouchi would have still been there. He had no true friends and Honda started talking to him in P.E. class without judging him for the bad rep or how much the teachers trash talked him in class. They hit it off right away and for whatever reason, Jonouchi always valued his opinions.

Where as being with Kaiba always had him on edge. Unless he was drunk or high, he couldn't really relax around him for longer than half an hour before being wound up again. His anxiety would flare up and their personalities would clash… sometimes he wondered why he bothered trying, but he wanted to be friends with the man. He just didn't understand how.

"Sometimes I wondered why you bothered talking to me, when you said you hated me. But it was probably because you were a condescending dick too, right?"

"Pretty much," Kaiba admitted, figuring it would do no good to do otherwise, "But it had nothing to do with your criminal record."

No, he'd had even worse reasons, like Jonouchi's accent, his dueling prowess…any number of superficial reasons he could use to get back at Jonouchi for hitting him where it hurt. The younger Kaiba Seto had taken all things at face value, and only then for how much they were worth in _his_ world. Jonouchi, a poor kid who at first seemed incapable of doing anything himself, had been deemed useless. Only after he'd suffered and nearly died in his duel against Malik and his Sun God Ra had Kaiba actually admitted (to himself) that Jonouchi was more than trash.

"Also, it won't help us if you keep shooting Spartans and Marines. They're on our side. The Covenant is going to hand our asses to us if we don't have reinforcements."

Jonouchi had killed all the Marines they'd encountered so far. They were just random NPCs, but honestly. They were still helpful in battle, and he knew there was a sizable wave coming. Halo: Reach differed from other titles in that the Spartans were lower grade than the famous Master Chief, and therefore more dependent on their unit.

Maybe he and Jonouchi should have chosen a less team-based game to play…

Becoming entirely too frustrated now with Kaiba picking at his stress reliever of choice, Jonouchi just dropped the controller into his lap and quit. He just sat there cross-legged and stared angrily at the screen, not saying a word. Nothing good would come out of saying anything at that point and he needed to let himself calm down. Unlike his friend, he didn't give two shits about the game.

He just wanted to kill things. And blow up shit.

But Kaiba wasn't going to let him, so he decided instead to just let him do what he wanted. It was better than being told what to do, and putting a hand into his hair and grabbing it rather roughly out of frustration, he placed his elbows on his knees and silently brooded away while hearing his character get killed several times in a row, making no move to pick up the controller again.

Kaiba would be pissed. But he didn't care.

He waited for a couple of minutes for Jonouchi to get over his tantrum and play again, but evidently, that wasn't going to happen. He took a few deep breaths, realizing that his getting pissed was probably both expected and at least halfway desired. He wasn't going to give Jonouchi the satisfaction of having his tantrum acknowledged.

"If you're that desperate to kill everything, then I'll put in something else," he grumbled, popping out Halo and replacing it with an open-world game: Skyrim. Once he'd loaded up his god-tier Orc warrior, he handed Jonouchi the controller. Or, rather, he dropped it into Jonouchi's lap and took the other one away.

"Have at it. Kill anyone and anything you please. You can even steal their clothes afterward."

Then he stood and briskly stalked to the attached bathroom, shutting the door behind himself. He only really half needed to piss, but he was going to smack Jonouchi in the head if he had to be in the same room with him for much longer. He leaned against the bathroom counter, staring at the sink and trying to control his breathing—as well as the burning in his chest that threatened to become rage. He didn't really want to fight, but he couldn't help his nature.

Once he was relatively calm again, he realized that he actually did need to piss, and decided to set about doing that before he returned to the bedroom. Better to do it now than have to dash off again in fifteen minutes.

For a while Jonouchi just stared at the controller. If he was in his own house, he probably would have tossed it and stormed off onto the balcony to smoke his feelings in cigarettes, but that wasn't okay to do where he was. He was unfortunately a guest in another man's house, and if he didn't try to get a hold of himself, Kaiba would get pissed. Especially since he was trying to help him burn off steam.

Taking the controller, he pressed start and tried playing. The graphics were decent, and doing exactly what Kaiba suggested, just killing everyone who came by and stealing their money, Jonouchi just stared at the tv with a semi-bored expression on his face until he heard the toilet flush.

He didn't remember Kaiba going into the bathroom.

Should he try talking to him? It wouldn't mean anything to him. Kaiba wouldn't get his frustrations, since he seemed content to blow off any mention of his past self. Jonouchi tried to bring it out, if only to finally say what he wanted to say, but he wasn't going to be able to while staying in the man's house. It would have to wait. And shaking his head, he realized that maybe going into Kaiba's room and asking personal questions was a really bad idea.

But it was too late now.

Kaiba heard the sounds of people screaming, shouting angrily, guards warning Jonouchi that he was going to be killed where he stood and making racial slurs about his Orc, and other telltale signs of trouble in Skyrim, so he thought perhaps it was safe to leave the bathroom. He had himself under control. He could be civil now, certainly, even if Jonouchi was still frustrated. Well, he hoped so, anyway.

As he retook his seat at the edge of the bed, he saw that Jonouchi seemed less than enthralled with the mass murder he was committing in Riverwood. Kaiba wanted to say something, but didn't know what he could say that would make any sense or not offend, so he stayed quiet and observed while he plotted something in his head.

Before he had a chance to speak, however, a gold dragon swept from the skies and landed on the smithy's shop, snapping at Jonouchi's character before shouting fire at him. As the Skyrim main theme played, full choir cheering Jonouchi (or, rather, 'Dovahkiin') on, he couldn't help but wonder how he would handle the fight. He doubted the other man had any contact with the game before, so a dragon showing up out of nowhere should at least get his attention, if nothing else.

"Press the right bumper to use Thu'um," Kaiba advised, "I have the thunderstorm shout equipped, though, so it'll hit civillians and guards, too. Just so you know."

"I've played this game before, I don't need your help."

And after several failed attempts at killing the dragon and nearly getting killed by it, he finally just did what Kaiba advised. Slaying the thing and becoming even more angry at having to change his plan of attack, Jonouchi paused the game and got up, stalking off outside again while fumbling into his pockets for his smokes.

Whenever he got really upset, he needed to smoke. Didn't matter if he had done it only some five minutes ago, he'd take the cigarettes out and start sucking them down until his whole chemistry had changed from the nicotine. It settled his nerves and generally made him into a more relaxed person after one or two cigarettes, but this time he didn't know if that would be enough. His irritation was so much, he was nearly shaking as he tried grabbing his lighter.

And of course, Kaiba couldn't figure out why. That maybe inviting strangers to sleep with while fucking everyone else over who ever tried being his friend was just so wrong, on so many levels. Jonouchi couldn't forgive him easily for that, no matter how nicely he treated him years after the fact…

The damage was done. Kaiba had turned Jonouchi into a very resentful friend, who tried to get past it but just couldn't. His memories wouldn't let him, and in moments like this, it just got the best of him. He had to grab at his hair painfully to distract himself from getting more upset, and opening his mouth for the smoke to escape, he wondered what he was doing there.

Why was he at Kaiba's house? He didn't belong there.

Kaiba didn't normally drink for comfort, but Jonouchi was pushing him there. Watching him stalk out the door and fumble for cigarettes made him more distressed than angry, honestly. He'd hoped something would calm Jonouchi down so things would make sense again. He wasn't in the mood for another fight, but Jonouchi wouldn't talk to him and he wouldn't knock the chip off of his shoulder, either.

He'd had about enough of this. Pissing him off was one thing, but giving him the compulsion to drink until he was too happy to care was entirely another. He only wondered whether drinking or confrontation was a better idea.

Well, seeing as he had work the next day, and Mokuba would be home that afternoon, getting drunk wasn't really an option. Nor was getting high. That only really left one alternative, outside of just giving Jonouchi the boot and acting like a complete bitch about the whole thing.

He stood and followed Jonouchi to the balcony, leaning back against the rail as the other man smoked, his fingers shaking with what could be rage or just overwhelming nerves.

"Are you actually going to tell me what put the hair up your ass?" Kaiba asked pointedly, "Or are you just going to keep acting shitty toward me until I drop you off at your place?"

Before reacting immediately, Jonouchi had to think about what he wanted to say. If it was worth going off on Kaiba just to get his frustrations out and how it would end up if he did so. Would his host get pissed off and kick him out of the house? He certainly hoped not. Sure, he was mad, but he didn't want to leave and he didn't know why even, since the owner of the place was rubbing off on him the wrong way.

But he owed the man an explanation. Jonouchi was acting like a kid and he knew it, huffing on his cigarette nervously several times before looking Kaiba's way with sad eyes. Yes, he didn't want to get into a potentially emotional discussion with him, but it was going to end up that way no matter what.

Either get upset here or start a bitch fest on the way home.

"You. Your whole damn attitude. How could you have some random ass guys up here for a quick lay but you couldn't even be half way decent to the people who saved your miserable ass time and time again? Would it have killed you to treat us like people too?

Hell, you're only nice to me now because you're attracted to me and have finally decided I'm not the blubbering idiot you labeled me as when I just tried being your friend the first time. Do you really think that I'm just going to get over it magically and not care about how you treated me or any of the rest of us?

It's just so damn insulting. You speak of wanting companionship, yet you spat in the face of every single person who ever tried getting close to you…"

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi looking baffled for a few seconds before crossing his arms and ankles and averting his gaze.

"…Oh."

That was what this was about? Jonouchi was angry because he'd been driven by libido to bring some stranger he didn't care about into his bedroom? He didn't understand. He understood how Jonouchi could feel rejected about the past, and why he'd be angry that he was only wanted because Kaiba was lonely and found him attractive, but…

"I can't explain away my past actions," he sighed, "When I was sixteen, I was an asshole. I won't excuse myself or bother listing reasons, because you've heard it all. By the time I lost track of all of you for a couple of years, I was starting to realize that I was very lonely and very horny. So, I started fooling around with people, and the one that pursued me and wanted to spend the night, I brought here. It didn't mean much to me. They weren't important and I never intended to see them again."

He felt that Jonouchi didn't give him enough credit for how he dealt with Yugi and his friends. He hadn't been one of their friendship fairies, but he'd pulled them out of rough spots and put his life on the line for them just as they had for him…just because he hadn't been a white knight like the rest of them didn't mean he treated them so piss-poorly as Jonouchi seemed to think. Or, perhaps he was specifically recalling Duelist Kingdom, in which case…he wasn't really wrong.

"I don't stay with you just because you're attractive," he scowled, staring Jonouchi in the face again to ensure the other man knew he meant it, "That first day that I spent time with you, it was chance compulsion, and after that, a desire for companionship. I only discovered along the way that I found you desirable.

Do you really think that I'd bring you into my _personal space, _just because I had nothing better to do and thought you were hot? I'm giving you access to thousands of dollars of computer equipment, not to mention I showed you irreplaceable creations of mine. I don't do that for just anyone, for no reason other than wanting company.

I don't expect you to forget the way I treated you, and if you're still angry about it, then I probably deserve it. I'm not going to try to justify my past actions. But don't insult me or yourself by claiming my present motivations are so ill-founded."

"Then what the hell do you want from me? Because what you say and how you act towards me are two very different things, Kaiba."

He couldn't speak as eloquently as his companion, nor explain himself well. Jonouchi was confused, and beginning to feel physically ill, he had to sit down against the railing, legs bent out in front of him, as he sat there shaking. Stiff smoking the life out of his cigarette, he refused to look Kaiba in the face. He couldn't. And he certainly didn't want to.

Jonouchi was just too upset to think straight, and he didn't even know why. It was beginning to hit hard that he was hanging out with a guy who told him once that he was a "stray dog"… That he wasn't worth anything to anyone, nor could he amount to shit in this world or the next. No matter how hard he had tried to ignore the taunts and act like they didn't do anything to him, it hurt. The scars were all still there and being around Kaiba for so long made them flare up like burns from standing out in the sun too long.

And Kaiba was the sun. A big burning ball of confusing actions and words and expressions Jonouchi wouldn't keep straight in his head. On one end, Kaiba was gay and wanted to sleep with him. On the other, he just wanted a companion. But he didn't get it. Why was he being so nice to him? Why did he finally decide now that he'd be generous and kind and supportive although they hardly knew each other? Why did he give two shits about Jonouchi, who barely cared about himself?

Frankly, he didn't want to be cared for. He wanted an excuse to give up. It was easier just not caring and allowing shit to just happen to him. Things were easier and better, not pushing the boundaries of what he could accomplish and just doing the bare minimum. What he had to do to get by.

But he couldn't. And Kaiba wouldn't let him.

Everything was just getting to be too confusing, and tossing his cigarette at the wall of the mansion, he roughly grabbed at his hair again.

"I want your company," Kaiba crouched beside Jonouchi, speaking quietly, "That's all, if I really think about it. It turns out that you're actually a very interesting and respectable person. Maybe I was too much of an idiot to figure it out before, but even I had to respect you at least a little after a while. You don't give yourself enough credit."

He watched Jonouchi tug at his hair, puffing his cigarette in shallow breath cycles. He'd choke if he kept that pace…

"I can understand you're confused by the fact that I'm being amiable, but the fact is, I have no reason not to. You've saved my _life _before, whether I was ever willing to accept it or not. You've put your life on the line without question just to help me, or to fight with me. You cheered me on in the past even after I treated you like shit. The least I can do is try now to be a good friend.

I don't want to be a bad person anymore," Kaiba gently but firmly grabbed one of Jonouchi's wrists so he wouldn't pull out an entire patch of his hair, "I don't want to treat you like shit anymore either, and if I can help it, I'm going to try to make up for doing so in the past. If you don't think that's good enough motivation, then…I suppose you have every right to that opinion."

He was starting to realize that being sincere was a last-ditch effort for him. When Jonouchi was on the verge of breakdown or flight, he'd actually be honest in an attempt to sway him. Maybe this cycle could actually break if he stopped trying so hard to keep his thoughts a secret. Certainly, Jonouchi thought out loud often enough.

Jonouchi just shook his head rapidly, making his blond hair fly all over the place before setting his restrained hand on his knee, digging his nails into it. If Kaiba hadn't pulled him away from his head, he would have kept torturing himself, a habit he'd formed during childhood whenever he got too stressed out to deal with something. It didn't happen often, but whenever something just became too personal, the self-inflicted pain to the scalp would start.

"I'm not respectable," he mumbled, looking off towards the woods, "And I'm certainly not interesting."

He had heard everything Kaiba had told him, but he disagreed with that. After everything that had happened, he still felt like shit. Never did he fully make up for what he did as a thug, how he bullied and beat Yugi for shits and giggles, or sexually harassed Anzu several times before growing half a brain and stopping the stupid behavior.

What probably hurt worst about Kaiba too, was he only did to him what Jonouchi had done to others. Nothing even as bad, to boot. It was the worst bite of karma he had ever gotten, and although it was gone now, the reminders were everywhere. They could probably become friends even, but that would require Jonouchi forgiving him completely. Like Yugi had forgiven him. And he was no Yugi. Not even close.

"Kaiba, why do you even bother with me? You could do so much better with someone else."

Kaiba scoffed at the idea, slightly perturbed by Jonouchi's rapidly-surfacing lack of self-esteem.

"Like who? You of all people should know how rare it is to find a decent person in this world. Maybe you've done things in the past that were unsavory, but everyone has."

Was Jonouchi having some kind of breakdown? Kaiba had seen him angry, sappy, lamenting…but never this broken. There was always that underlying indignation, a refusal to be seen as anything but strong.

"To say you're not worth _my_ time, especially, is insulting yourself far more than is necessary or accurate. The fact that you continue to spend time with me willingly is astonishing. Hell, you let me sleep with you three times, and once even after you knew I was attracted to you. In all honesty, I thought you were going to bolt the moment you found out I was queer.

But you stuck it out anyway, despite the fact that you were uncomfortable…how do you equate that to being disinteresting? Much less unworthy of respect. What happened to you? Four years ago, if I so much as implied you were beneath me, you'd throw a shit fit like no one had ever seen."

"I thought I was going somewhere in my life. That my family was going to be back again and I had my friends around… It was very different then. Now everything's so damn lonely. My sister's in Tokyo, my mother refuses to talk to me, hell knows where my father is… Yugi didn't come back to Japan with me…"

And for some reason, Jonouchi thought he would have. That their friendship was the strongest bond and they'd never split apart as long as they remained close. Hell, they were roommates in California and often helped each other out for competitions. But things changed as time went by, and Yugi didn't want to leave the states. He wished Jonouchi the best of luck and told him he'd always be there for him, but he stayed behind.

And that crushed him.

Didn't help also that all the other bad things had happened around the same time. Got jumped coming back to the old neighborhood and almost couldn't find a job until the Game shop hired him. It was by chance and luck. Jonouchi was frankly becoming tired of relying on it to get by, he wanted to feel comfortable for once in his life, but that wasn't going to happen.

"It's exhausting, trying to fight the current every damn day, and I know it hurts to drown, but just giving up would be so much easier. I can't, but I want to. Sometimes I wish I just would."

Kaiba sat back against the railing, tired of crouching and knowing he wouldn't be leaving at this moment.

"Being alone is shitty," he agreed, "Having no family is shitty…"

He leaned his head back, staring at the house in front of them as he realized that Jonouchi had been well and truly abandoned. Even by Yugi, upon whom he'd depended completely and by whom he'd been let down.

"I can't imagine what I would have done if I'd had to grow up without Mokuba _or _my parents," he muttered, "Probably gone insane. More insane than I all ready did, anyway. No wonder you're sick and tired of fighting. It'd be ridiculous to say some meaningless crap like 'it'll be fine', since that's no consolation, but…I wouldn't give up, if I were you. Things are starting to improve, aren't they? You still have a steady job, and a place to live. And you have company, even if it's not the best you could have been saddled with."

Kaiba turned his head so he could look at the person beside him, who still appeared extremely downtrodden.

"Of course, if you find that more discouraging than comforting, then we could always drive down to Kaiba Corporation and take a dive."

He wasn't really serious about that suggestion. But he figured that being confronted with the idea of true surrender—suicide—might help rekindle Jonouchi's will.

"I don't want to kill myself. I'd never do that…"

He couldn't believe Kaiba of all people was giving him a pep talk, but he desperately needed one. Although it was a work night, Jonouchi didn't want to go back home alone and he felt physically exhausted although it was only noon. Becoming so upset just drained him of everything he had, and after sighing and leaning his shoulder against Kaiba's, he glanced up briefly at the man, trying to figure out just what he wanted to do with himself.

Jonouchi needed a plan. He needed to figure out just what he was going to do, because working towards nothing was not working for him. Either he could go to school or get himself into some technical job that would set him up with a solid career and out of the slums.

Quite frankly, he also needed to get over his failures in the United States. They happened nearly a year ago and dwelling on what couldn't be changed was not going to get him anywhere. He didn't have to be like Yugi to be successful.

And he certainly didn't have to try forcing himself into a career that wasn't going to work out. Dueling was fun. But Jonouchi wasn't cut out for the professional world, he didn't have the heart for it. He was a gifted duelist and everyone knew that, but he couldn't be cruel.

And even Yugi knew how to be cruel when he needed to win. Or at least the other Yugi did.

"Ugh, I'm just so tired and confused right now. I need to take a nap or something. Do you mind at all?"

"I don't mind," Kaiba hummed, pleased that Jonouchi at least seemed to be over his emotional crisis for now, "We're all ready in the bedroom. You can just crawl in whenever."

He rubbed his forehead. He'd given himself another headache—worse than the constant throb he normally had, which he'd learned to ignore. It was an actual headache now, and he wasn't pleased with that at all.

"I'm thinking about doing the same, actually."

He could set an alarm to wake them up in a few hours. The time between noon and four PM were supposed to provide the most restful daytime sleep, anyway…why not take advantage? Especially if it helped them over this hump that had reared its head.

Kaiba stood, grumbling quietly when his knees popped for no good reason, and he offered a hand to Jonouchi before pulling him up as well. He loped back into the bedroom, where he promptly shut off the Xbox and television and set himself the task of closing the curtains to block out the sun.

He silently walked over to the bed, disregarding what Kaiba had done in there some time before. Really, Jonouchi was just too tired to care. If he didn't find somewhere to sleep, he was going to pass out standing up, his emotions had sucked so much energy out of him. The blond could hardly function, and taking off his pants and climbing into bed, he didn't wait for Kaiba to join him before closing his eyes.

Sleep would probably come over him fast. The bed was the best he had ever laid on top of, and covered with silk sheets, he had never felt such luxury before. It was different. Once the curtains closed and he could feel someone coming in from the other side, he relaxed even more, knowing that he wasn't alone in the room.

He hated feeling alone. Internally, he was dreading going back home.

"I'm sorry about losing it like that."

Hopefully Kaiba heard him. He wasn't talking all that loud, but he felt like he needed to apologize, even if the man didn't find it necessary. Jonouchi found it necessary. Having an emotional break down on the porch was not on the plan of the day, and really he didn't want something like that to happen to him ever again if he could help it. The whole experience felt terrible.

"I shouldn't have gotten so upset with you. And thanks for cheering me up. Trying to find a game I could play while I was throwing a tantrum. Everything."

His eyes were closed and he wasn't looking Kaiba's direction, but Jonouchi still had to say it.

Kaiba was under the blankets himself, his jeans and button-up discarded so he was left with only his underwear and tank top. He wasn't trying to be so undressed. He just didn't want to ruin his clothes.

"It's fine," he replied, not sure why Jonouchi was apologizing, but it didn't seem necessary to ask. "I've been told in the past that friends are supposed to do that for each other."

Jonouchi seemed to be rapidly losing consciousness, which was fine. Kaiba had no intention of lying awake staring at the ceiling and over-thinking his life. He was lying on his back at the opposite end of the large bed, grateful to have company for once so it didn't feel like he was sleeping alone in a desert or something.

He closed his eyes. He was tired and his head hurt, and he knew that sleeping for a little while would solve that problem. Besides, he could eat again when he woke up. Though he wasn't quite looking forward to being so near the end of the day…

"Just so you know," he murmured, not sure Jonouchi could even hear him anymore, "If you ever do try to commit suicide, I'll kill you."


End file.
